OR          LIVES 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

SAN  DIEGO 


\  I  / 


THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 
THE  SALVATION  ARMY 

BY 

EVANGELINE  BOOTH 

AND 

GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL 


WILLIAM  BKAMWELL  BOOTH 
GENERAL  OF  THE  SALVATION  ARMY 


THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 
THE  SALVATION  ARMY 


BY 
EVANGELINE  BOOTH 

COMMAKDEB-DT-CHIKF,   TBS  8ALVATIOM   ABMT    IS   AMERICA 

AND 

GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL 

AUTHOB  OF  "THE  KNCHANTED  BARM";  "THB  BEST  MAM"; 
"LO  MICHAEL";  TUB  BCD  SIOHAL."  ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA  AND   LONDON 
J.  B.  LEPPINCOTT  COMPANY 


COPTBIGHT,  1919,  »r  j.  B.  Lippraeorr  COMPAJTT 


BET  UP   AND  PRINTED   IN   UNITED  STATUS 


EVANGELINE   BOOTH 
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF   OF   THE    SALVATION   ARMY   IN   AMERICA 


FOREWORD 

IN  presenting  the  narrative  of  some  of  the  doings  of 
the  Salvation  Army  during  the  world's  great  conflict  for 
liberty,  I  aim  but  answering  the  insistent  call  of  a  most 
generous  and  appreciative  public. 

When  moved  to  activity  by  the  apparent  need,  there 
was  never  a  thought  that  our  humble  services  would  awaken 
the  widespread  admiration  that  has  developed.  In  fact, 
we  did  not  expect  anything  further  than  appreciative  recog- 
nition from  those  immediately  benefited,  and  the  knowledge 
that  our  people  have  proved  so  useful  is  an  abundant 
compensation  for  all  toil  and  sacrifice,  for  service  is  our 
watchword,  and  there  is  no  reward  equal  to  that  of  doing 
the  most  good  to  the  most  people  in  the  most  need.  When 
our  National  Armies  were  being  gathered  for  overseas  work, 
the  likelihood  of  a  great  need  was  self-evident,  and  the 
most  logical  and  moat  natural  thing  for  the  Salvation  Army 
to  do  was  to  hold  itself  in  readiness  for  action.  That  we 
were  straitened  in  our  circumstances  is  well  understood, 
more  so  by  us  than  by  anybody  else.  The  story  as  told  in 
theee  pages  is  necessarily  incomplete,  for  the  obvious  rea- 
son that  the  work  is  yet  in  progress.  We  entered  France 
ahead  of  our  Expeditionary  Forces,  and  it  is  my  purpose 
to  continue  my  people's  ministries  until  the  last  of  our 
troops  return.  At  the  present  moment  the  number  of  our 
workers  overseas  equals  that  of  any  day  yet  experienced. 

Because  of  the  pressure  that  this  service  brings,  to- 
ff 


6  FOREWORD 

gether  with  the  unmentioned  executive  cares  incident  to 
the  vast  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  in  these  United  States, 
I  felt  compelled  to  requisition  some  competent  person  to 
aid  me  in  the  literary  work  associated  with  the  production 
of  a  concrete  story.  In  this  I  was  most  fortunate,  for  a 
writer  of  established  worth  and  national  fame  in  the  per- 
son of  Mrs.  Grace  Livingston  Hill  came  to  my  assistance; 
and  having  for  many  days  had  the  privilege  of  working 
with  her  in  the  sifting  process,  gathering  from  the  mass  of 
matter  that  had  accumulated  and  which  was  being  daily 
added  to,  with  every  confidence  I  am  able  to  commend  her 
patience  and  toil.  How  well  she  has  done  her  work  the 
book  will  bear  its  own  testimony. 

This  foreword  would  be  incomplete  were  I  to  fail  in 
acknowledging  in  a  very  definite  way  the  lavish  expressions 
of  gratitude  that  have  abounded  on  the  part  of  "The 
Boys"  themselves.  This  is  our  reward,  and  is  a  very 
great  encouragement  to  us  to  continue  a  growing  and 
more  permanent  effort  for  their  welfare,  which  is  com- 
prehended in  our  plans  for  the  future. 

The  official  support  given  has  been  of  the  highest  and 
most  generous  character.  Marshal  Foch  himself  most 
kindly  cabled  me,  and  General  Pershing  has  upon  several 
occasions  inspired  us  with  commendatory  words  of  the 
greatest  worth. 

Our  beloved  President  has  been  pleased  to  reflect  the 
people's  pleasure  and  his  own  personal  gratification  upon 
what  the  Salvation  Army  has  accomplished  with  the 
troops,  which  good-will  we  shall  ever  regard  as  one  of  our 
greatest  honors. 

The  lavish  eulogy  and  sincere  affection  bestowed  by  the 


FOREWORD  7 

nation  upon  the  organization  I  can  only  account  for  by  the 
simple  fact  that  our  ministering  members  have  been  in 
spirit  and  reality  with  the  men. 

True  to  our  first  light,  first  teaching,  and  first  prac- 
tices, we  have  always  put  ourselves  close  beside  the  man 
irrespective  of  whether  his  condition  is  fair  or  foul; 
whether  his  surroundings  are  peaceful  or  perilous ;  whether 
his  prospects  are  promising  or  threatening.  As  a  people 
we  have  felt  that  to  be  of  true  service  to  others  we  must 
be  close  enough  to  them  to  lift  part  of  their  load  and  thus 
carry  out  that  grand  injunction  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  "  Bear 
ye  one  another's  burdens  and  so  fulfill  the  law  of  Christ." 

The  S-alvation  Army  upon  the  battlefields  of  France 
has  but  worked  along  the  same  lines  as  in  the  great  cities 
of  the  nations.  We  are,  with  our  every  gift  to  serve,  close 
up  to  those  in  need;  and  so,  as  Lieut.-Colonel  Koosevelt 
put  it,  "  Whatever  the  lot  of  the  men,  the  Salvation  Army 
is  found  with  them." 

We  never  permit  any  superiority  of  position,  or  breed- 
ing, or  even  grace  to  make  a  gap  between  us  and  any  who 
may  be  less  fortunate.  To  help  another,  you  must  be  near 
enough  to  catch  the  heart-beat.  And  so  a  large  measure 
of  our  success  in  the  war  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that 
we  have  been  with  them.  With  a  hundred  thousand  Sal- 
vationists on  all  fronts,  and  tens  and  tens  of  thousands  of 
Salvationists  at  their  ministering  posts  in  the  homelands  as 
well  as  overseas,  from  the  time  that  each  of  the  Allied 
countries  entered  the  war  the  Salvation  Army  has  been 
with  the  fighting-men. 

With  them  in  the  thatched  cottage  on  the  hillside,  and 
in  the  humble  dwelling  in  the  great  towns  of  the  home- 


8  FOREWORD 

lands,  when  they  faced  the  great  ordeal  of  wishing  good-bye 
to  mothers  and  fathers  and  wives  and  children. 

With  them  in  the  blood-soaked  furrows  of  old  fields; 
with  them  in  the  desolation  of  No  Man's  Land ;  and  with 
them  amid  the  indescribable  miseries  and  gory  horrors  of 
the  battlefield.  With  them  with  the  sweetest  ministry, 
trained  in  the  art  of  service,  white-sonled,  brave,  tender- 
hearted men  and  women  could  render. 


NATIONAL  HEADQUARTERS 
SALVATION  ARMY, 
NEW  YORK  CITY. 

April,  1919. 


FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S 
OWN  PEN 

THE  war  is  over.  The  world's  greatest  tragedy  is 
arrested.  The  awful  pull  at  men's  heart-strings  relaxed. 
The  inhuman  monster  that  leapt  out  of  the  darkness  and 
laid  blood-hands  upon  every  home  of  a  peace-blest  earth  has 
been  overthrown.  Autocracy  and  diabolical  tyranny  lie 
defeated  and  crushed  behind  the  long  rows  of  white  crosses 
that  stand  like  sign-posts  pointing  heavenward,  all  the  way 
from  the  English  Channel  to  the  Adriatic,  linking  the  two 
by  an  inseverable  chain. 

While  the  nations  were  in  the  throes  of  the  conflict, 
I  was  constrained  to  speak  and  write  of  the  Salvation 
Army's  activities  in  the  frightful  struggle.  Now  that  all 
is  over  and  I  reflect  upon  the  price  the  nations  hare  paid 
I  realize  much  hesitancy  in  so  doing. 

When  I  think  of  England — where  almost  every  man 
you  meet  is  but  a  piece  of  a  man  !  France — one  great  grave- 
yard! Its  towns  and  cities  a  wilderness  of  waste!  The 
allied  countries — Italy,  and  deathless  little  Belgium,  and 
Serbia — well-nigh  exterminated  in  the  desperate,  gory 
struggle!  When  I  think  upon  it — the  price  America  has 
paid!  The  price  her  heroic  sons  have  paid!  They  that 
come  down  the  gangways  of  the  returning  boats  on  crutches ! 
They  that  are  carried  down  on  stretchers !  They  that  sail 
into  New  York  Harbor,  young  and  fair,  but  never  again 
to  see  the  Statue  of  Liberty !  The  price  that  dear  mothers 
and  fathers  have  paid !  The  price  that  the  tens  of  thou- 

9 


10      FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN 

eands  of  little  children  have  paid !  The  price  they  that  sleep 
in  the  lands  they  made  free  have  paid !  When  I  think  upon 
all  this,  it  is  with  no  little  reluctance  that  I  now  write  of 
the  small  part  taken  by  the  Salvation  Army  in  the  world's 
titanic  sacrifice  for  liberty,  but  which  part  we  shall  ever 
regard  as  our  life's  crowning  honor. 

Expressions  of  surprise  from  officers  of  all  ranks  as  well 
as  the  private  soldier  have  vied  with  those  of  gratitude 
concerning  the  efficiency  of  this  service,  but  no  thought 
of  having  accomplished  any  achievement  higher  than  their 
simplest  duty  is  entertained  by  the  Salvationists  them- 
selves; for  uniformly  they  feel  that  they  have  but  striven 
to  measure  up  to  the  high  standards  of  service  maintained 
by  the  Salvation  Army,  which  standards  ask  of  its  officers 
all  over  the  world  that  no  effort  shall  be  left  unprosecuted, 
no  sacrifice  unrendered,  which  will  help  to  meet  the  need 
at  their  door. 

And  it  is  such  high  standards  of  devoted  service  to  our 
fellow,  linked  with  the  practical  nature  of  the  movement's 
operations,  the  deeply  religious  character  of  its  members, 
its  intelligent  system  of  government,  uniting,  and  thus 
augmenting,  all  its  activities ;  with  the  immense  advantage 
of  the  military  training  provided  by  the  organization,  that 
•give  to  its  officers  a  potency  and  adaptability  that  have  for 
the  greater  period  of  our  brief  lifetime  made  us  an  influ- 
ential factor  in  seasons  of  civic  and  national  disaster. 

When  that  beautiful  city  of  the  Golden  Gate,  San  Fran- 
cisco, was  laid  low  by  earthquake  and  fire,  the  Salvationists 
were  the  first  upon  the  ground  with  blankets,  and  clothes, 
and  food,  gathering  frightened  little  children,  looking  after 
old  age,  and  rescuing  many  from  the  burning  and  falling 
buildings. 

At  the  time  of  the  wild  rush  to  the  Klondike,  the  Sal- 


FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN      11 

vation  Army  was,  with  its  sweet,  pure  women — the  only 
women  amidst  tens  of  thousands  of  men — upon  the  moun- 
tain-side of  the  Chilcoot  Pass  saving  the  lives  of  the  gold- 
seekers,  and  telling  those  shattered  by  disappointment  of 
treasure  that  "  doth  not  perish." 

At  the  time  of  the  Jamestown,  the  Galveston,  and  the 
Dayton  floods  the  Salvation  Army  officer,  with  his  boat 
laden  with  sandwiches  and  warm  wraps,  was  the  first  upon 
the  rising  waters,  ministering  to  marooned  and  starving 
families  gathered  upon  the  housetops. 

In  the  direful  disaster  that  swept  over  the  beautiful  city 
of  Halifax,  the  Mayor  of  that  city  stated :  "  I  do  not  know 
what  I  should  have  done  the  first  two  or  three  days  fol- 
lowing the  explosion,  when  everyone  was  panic-stricken, 
without  the  ready,  intelligent,  and  unbroken  day-and-night 
efforts  of  the  Salvation  Army." 

On  numerous  other  similar  occasions  -we  have  relieved 
distress  and  sorrow  by  our  almost  instantaneous  service. 
Hence  when  our  honored  President  decided  that  our  Na- 
tional Emblem,  heralder  of  the  inalienable  rights  of  man, 
should  cross  the  seas  and  wave  for  the  freedom  of  the 
peoples  of  the  earth,  automatically  the  Salvation  Army 
moved  with  it,  and  our  officers  passed  to  the  varying  posts 
of  helpfulness  which  the  emergency  demanded. 

Now  on  all  sides  I  am  confronted  with  the  question: 
What  is  the  secret  of  the  Salvation  Army's  success  in 
the  war? 

Permit  me  to  suggest  three  reasons  which,  in  my  judg- 
ment, account  for  it : 

First,  when  the  war-bolt  fell,  when  the  clarion  call 
sounded,  it  found  the  Salvation  Army  ready! 

Eeady  not  only  -with  our  material  machinery,  but  with 
that  precious  piece  of  human  mechanism  which  is  indis- 


12      FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN 

pensable  to  all  great  and  high  achievement — the  right 
calibre  of  man,  and  the  right  calibre  of  woman.  Men  and 
women  equipped  by  a  careful  training  for  the  work  they 
would  have  to  do. 

We  were  not  many  in  number,  I  admit.  In  France  our 
numbers  have  been  regrettably  few.  But  this  is  because  I 
have  felt  it  was  better  to  fall  short  in  quantity  than  to  run 
the  risk  in  falling  short  in  quality.  Quality  is  its  own 
multiplication  table.  Quality  without  quantity  will  spread, 
whereas  quantity  without  quality  will  shrink.  Therefore, 
I  would  not  send  any  officers  to  France  except  such  as  had 
been  fully  equipped  in  our  training  schools. 

Few  have  even  a  remote  idea  of  the  extensive  training 
given  to  all  Salvation  Army  officers  by  our  military  sys- 
tem of  education,  covering  all  the  tactics  of  that  particu- 
lar warfare  to  which  they  have  consecrated  their  lives — the 
service  of  humanity. 

We  have  in  the  Salvation  Army  thirty-nine  Training 
Schools  in  which  our  own  men  and  women,  both  for  our  mis- 
sionary and  home  fields,  receive  an  intelligent  tuition  and 
practical  training  in  the  minutest  details  of  their  service. 
They  are  trained  in  the  finest  and  most  intricate  of  all  the 
arts,  the  art  of  dealing  ably  with  human  life. 

It  is  a  wonderful  art  which  transfigures  a  sheet  of 
cold  grey  canvas  into  a  throbbing  vitality,  and  on  its  inan- 
imate spread  visualizes  a  living  picture  from  which  one 
feels  they  can  never  turn  their  eyes  away. 

It  is  a  wonderful  art  which  takes  a  rugged,  knotted 
block  of  marble,  standing  upon  a  coarse  wooden  bench, 
and  cuts  out  of  its  uncomely  crudeness — as  I  saw  it  done — 
the  face  of  my  father,  with  its  every  feature  illumined  with 
prophetic  light,  so  true  to  life  that  I  felt  that  to  my  touch 
it  surely  must  respond. 


FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN      IS 

But  even  such,  arts  as  these  crumble;  they  are  as  dust 
under  our  feet  compared  with  that  much  greater  art,  the 
art  of  dealing  ably  with  human  life  in  all  its  varying  con- 
ditions and  phases. 

It  is  in  this  art  that  we  seek  by  a  most  careful  culture 
and  training  to  perfect  our  officers. 

They  are  trained  in  those  expert  measures  which  enable 
them  to  handle  satisfactorily  those  that  cannot  handle 
themselves,  those  that  have  lost  their  grip  on  things,  and 
that  if  unaided  go  down  under  the  high,  rough,  tides. 

Trained  to  meet  emergencies  of  every  character — to 
leap  into  the  breach,  to  span  the  gulf,  and  to  do  it  without 
waiting  to  be  told  how. 

Trained  to  press  at  every  cost  for  the  desired  and 
decided-upon  end. 

Trained  to  obey  orders  willingly,  and  gladly,  and  wholly 
— not  in  part. 

Trained  to  give  no  quarter  to  the  enemy,  no  matter 
what  the  character,  nor  in  what  form  he  may  present 
himself,  and  to  never  consider  what  personal  advantage  may 
be  derived. 

Trained  in  the  art  of  the  winsome,  attractive  coquetries 
of  the  round,  brown  doughnut  and  all  its  kindred. 

Trained,  if  needs  be,  to  seal  their  services  with  their 
life's  blood. 

One  of  our  women  officers,  on  being  told  by  the  colonel 
of  the  regiment  she  would  be  killed  if  she  persisted  in 
serving  her  doughnuts  and  cocoa  to  the  men  while  under 
heavy  fire,  and  that  she  must  get  back  to  safety,  replied : 
"  Colonel,  we  can  die  with  the  men,  but  we  cannot  leave 
them." 

When,  therefore,  I  gathered  the  little  companies  to- 
gether for  their  last  charge  before  they  sailed  for  France, 


14      FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN 

I  would  tell  them  that  while  I  was  unable  to  arm  them 
with  many  of  the  advantages  of  the  more  wealthy  denomi- 
nations; that  while  I  could  give  them  only  a  very  few 
assistants  owing  to  the  great  demand  upon  our  forces; 
and  that  while  I  could  promise  them  nothing  beyond  their 
bare  expenses,  yet  I  knew  that  without  fear  I  could  rely 
upon  them  for  an  unsurpassed  devotion  to  the  God-inspired 
standards  of  the  emblem  of  this,  the  world's  greatest  Re- 
public, the  Stars  and  Stripes,  now  in  the  van  for  the  free- 
dom of  the  peoples  of  the  earth.  That  I  could  rely  upon 
them  for  unsurpassed  devotion  to  the  brave  men  who  laid 
their  lives  upon  the  altar  of  their  country's  protection,  and 
that  I  could  rely  upon  them  for  an  unsurpassed  devotion 
to  that  other  banner,  the  Banner  of  Calvary,  the  signifi- 
cance of  which  has  not  changed  in  nineteen  centuries,  and 
by  the  standards  of  which,  alone,  all  the  world's  wrongs 
can  be  redressed,  and  by  the  standards  of  which  alone  men 
can  be  liberated  from  all  their  bondage.  And  they  have 
not  failed. 

A  further  reason  for  the  success  of  the  Salvation  Army 
in  the  war  is,  it  found  us  accustomed  to  hardship. 

We  are  a  people  who  have  thrived  on  adversity.  Oppo- 
sition, persecution,  privation,  abuse,  hunger,  cold  and 
want  were  with  us  at  the  starting-post,  and  have  journeyed 
with  us  all  along  the  course. 

We  went  to  the  battlefields  no  strangers  to  suffering. 
The  biting  cold  winds  that  swept  the  fields  of  Flanders  were 
not  the  first  to  lash  our  faces.  The  sunless  cellars,  with 
their  mouldy  walls  and  water-seeped  floors,  where  our 
women  sought  refuge  from  shell-fire  through  the  hours  of 
the  night,  contributed  no  new  or  untried  experience.  In 
such  cellars  as  these,  in  their  home  cities,  under  the  flicker 
of  a  tallow  candle,  they  have  ministered  to  the  sick  and 
comforted  the  dying. 


FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN      15 

Wert  feet,  lack  of  sleep,  being  often  without  food,  find- 
ing things  different  from  what  we  had  planned,  hoped  and 
expected,  were  frequent  experiences  with  us.  All  such 
things  we  Salvationists  encounter  in  our  daily  toils  for 
others  amid  the  indescribable  miseries  and  inestimable  sor- 
rows, the  sins  and  the  tragedies  of  the  underworlds  of  our 
great  cities — the  underneath  of  those  great  cities  which 
upon  the  surface  thunder  with  enterprise  and  glitter  with 
brilliance. 

We  are  not  easily  affrighted  by  frowns  of  fortune.  We 
do  not  change  our  course  because  of  contrary  currents,  nor 
put  into  harbor  because  of  head-winds.  Almost  all  our 
progress  has  been  made  in  the  teeth  of  the  storm.  We  have 
always  had  to  "tack,"  but  as  it  is  "the  set  of  the  sails, 
and  not  the  gales"  that  decides  the  ports  we  reach,  the 
competency  of  our  seamanship  is  determined  by  the  fact 
that  we  "  get  there." 

Our  service  in  France  was  not,  therefore,  an  experiment, 
but  an  organized,  tested,  and  proved  system.  We  were 
enacting  no  new  role.  We  were  all  through  the  Boer  War. 
Our  officers  were  with  the  besieged  troops  in  Mafeking  and 
Ladysmith.  They  were  with  Lord  Kitchener  in  his  vic- 
torious march  through  Africa.  It  was  this  grand  soldier 
who  afterwards  wrote  to  my  father,  General  William  Booth, 
the  Founder  of  our  movement,  saying:  "Your  men  have 
given  us  an  example  both  of  how  to  live  as  good  soldiers 
and  how  to  die  as  heroes."  And  so  it  was  quite  natural  that 
our  men  and  women,  with  that  fearlessness  which  charac- 
terizes our  members,  should  take  up  positions  under  fire 
in  France. 

In  fact,  our  officers  would  have  considered  themselves 
unfaithful  to  Salvation  Army  traditions  and  history,  and 
Tuvtrue  to  those  who  had  gone  before,  if  they  had  deserted 


1C     FROM  TE 


of  the  ugM» 


.  «*^       .^__.     *^»   a»  ^  -^     -  _ 

-.       -  -'      .  :     -      -  ----      —  r  —      -_      -_7     ___  ;. 

viik  a  flBik  and  a  aonr  and  a  nd  of 


it  i§  Ihe  Sahatiam  Anay  bu 

::    ;  ~_r  •Fin-rC.    :fi:-7r:-   _^  n.f    _:_ 


FBOM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN      17 


say,  ovr  Christianity  is  practicable.  Few  realize  this  as 
theeecret  of  our  aooceaB,  and  some  vita  do  realize  it  will 
not  admit  it,  bmt  thia  is  what  it  really  is. 

We  40  worship;  both  in  spirit  and  form,  in  public  and 

in  pmatff.  We  rely  upon  prayer  AS  the  only  line  of  com- 
between  the  creature  and  Ms  Creator,  the  only 
upon  ~:-.:.  ::.-:  --:  _.  ?  r~:~_". rr-Lri.:,?  ill  •I'.'.r.r'gr-i^g'j 
can.  be  wafted  to  die  Fount  of  all  spiritual  supply.  Through. 
oar  street,  as  wefl  as  our  indoor  meetings,  perhaps  oftener 
:  •_-_  ii.--  :--.'  ----.-:.  •*-.  -.—-  --;  iLif  n£^e5  v-.::.  i^f 
divine  benedicftion.  of  prayer:  and  it  trouLd  be  difftcult  to 
3ome  1i»±  dot*  i. : :  resard  the  fatn- 
fly  altar  as  its  Moat  jgeiiiMm  and  ptifriff»  In  ••u . 

We  do  preach.  We  preach  God  the  Creator  of  eaith 
tzl  h.Tiv7-.  Mi.r.rrjir  L~  Hi?  t^>i:>c:.  iz_i^.~r  n.  H_r  love 
and  omnipotent  in  ffis  power.  We  preach  Jesus  Christ, 
."->:  5  :i  ;•  >:-r  ".•:,  ^:i.  -ij— r  :~  Cil-^rj  ::r  s  world's 
tnnqgresaoDS,  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  ~  all  those  who 
eone  ndo  God  by  Hon."  We  preach  God  the  Holy  Gbost, 
and  comforter  of  the  aouk  of  men,  making  white 


the  life,  and  Vi-n^li-ng  lights  in  -every  dark  lmnding-<plaee, 
We  preach  the  Bible,  fnrtfc""**r  in  its  statements,  imm&en- 
"i:t  :~  :-  :--....'_.:  r.  i^i  r.:r:;^;  in  ::^  r-rrc^-f*?? .  "**•>  T>:-i.:-i 
gnee,  limiilraB  grace,  graae  enough  for  all  men,  and  grace 
enough  for  each.  We  preach  Hell,  the  irrevocable  doom 
of  the  soul  that  rejects  the  Sraovr.  We  preach  HBBMCB, 
the  hone  of  the  pgUbeov,  the  reward  of  lie  good,  the 
of 


Even  aa  we  pnach,  so  we  practioe  Christiamty.  We  re- 
duce thewy  to  action.  We  apply  faith  to  deeds.  We  con- 
fer iri  rr^ti.:  7^^5  C":-r!?:  ir.  ir.i-r?  ib-s:  :;sr.  r^  lone. 

It  ia  this  that  has  earned  ow  fag  into  sirty-drree 

;TT(.t.i. :•- 


18      FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN 

has  given  us  the  financial  support  of  twenty-one  national 
governments.  It  is  this  that  has  brought  us  up  from  a 
little  handful  of  humble  workers  to  an  organization  with 
21,000  officers  and  workers,  preaching  the  gospel  in  thirty- 
nine  tongues.  It  is  this  that  has  multiplied  the  one  bands- 
man and  a  despised  big  drum  to  an  army  of  27,000  musi- 
cians, and  it  is  this — our  practice  of  religion — that  has 
placed  Christ  in  deeds. 

Arthur  E.  Copping  gives  as  the  reason  for  the  move- 
ment's success — "  the  simple,  thorough-going,  uncompro- 
mising, seven-days-a-week  character  of  its  Christianity." 

It  is  this  every-day-use  religion  which  has  made  us  of 
infinite  service  in  the  places  of  toil,  breakage,  and  suffering; 
this  every-day-use  religion  which  has  made  us  the  only 
resource  for  thousands  in  misery  and  vice;  this  every- 
day-use religion  which  has  insured  our  success  to  an 
extent  that  has  induced  civic  authorities,  Judges,  Mayors, 
Governors,  and  even  National  Governments — such  as  India 
with  its  Criminal  Tribes — to  turn  to  us  with  the  problems 
of  the  poor  and  the  wicked. 

While  the  Salvationist  is  not  of  the  generally  under- 
stood ascetic  or  monastic  type,  yet  his  spirit  and  deeds  are 
of  the  very  essence  of  saintliness. 

As  man  has  arrested  the  lazy  cloud  sleeping  on  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  and  has  brought  it  down  to  enlighten  our 
darkness,  to  carry  our  mail-bags,  to  haul  our  luggage,  and 
to  flash  our  messages,  so,  I  would  say  with  all  reverence, 
that  the  Salvation  Army  in  a  very  particular  way  has  again 
brought  down  Je-sus  Christ  from  the  high,  high  thrones, 
golden  pathways,  and  wing-spread  angels  of  Glory,  to  the 
common  mud  walks  of  earth,  and  has  presented  Him  again 
in  the  flesh  to  a  storm-torn  world,  touching  and  healing  the 
wounds,  the  bruises,  and  the  bleeding  sores  of  humanity. 


FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN      19 

That  was  a  wonderful  sermon  Christ  preached  on  the 
Mount,  but  was  it  more  wonderful  than  the  ministry  of  the 
wounded  man  fallen  by  the  roadside,  or  the  drying  of  the 
tears  from  the  pale,  worn  face  of  the  widow  of  Nain?  Or 
more  wonderful  than  when  He  said,  Let  them  come — let 
them  come — mothers  and  the  little  children — and  blessed 
them? 

It  has  only  been  this  same  Christ,  this  Christ  in  deeds, 
when  our  women  have  washed  the  blood  from  the  faces 
of  the  wounded,  and  taken  the  caked  mud  from  their  feet; 
when  under  fire,  through  the  hours  of  the  night,  they  have 
made  the  doughnuts;  when  instead  of  sleeping  they  have 
written  the  letters  home  to  soldiers'  loved  ones,  when  they 
have  lifted  the  heavy  pails  of  water  and  struggled  with 
them  over  the  shell-wrecked  roads  that  the  dying  soldiers 
might  drink;  when  they  have  sewn  the  torn,  uniforms; 
when  they  have  strewn  with  the  first  spring  flowers  the 
graves  of  those  who  died  for  liberty.  Only  Christ  in  deeds 
when  our  men  went  unarmed  into  the  horrors  of  the  Ar- 
gonne  Forest  to  gather  the  dying  boys  in  their  arms  and  to 
comfort  them  with  love,  human  and  divine. 

That  valiant  champion  of  justice  and  truth ;  that  faith- 
ful, able  and  brilliant  defender  of  American  standards, 
the  late  Honorable  Theodore  Roosevelt,  told  me  personally 
a  few  days  before  he  went  into  the  hospital  that  his  son 
wrote  him  of  how  our  officer,  fifty-three  years  of  age, 
despite  his  orders,  went  unarmed  over  the  top,  in  the  whirl- 
wind of  the  charge,  amidst  the  shriek  of  shell  and  tear  of 
shrapnel,  and  picked  up  the  American  boy  left  for  dead 
in  No  Man's  Land,  carrying  him  on  his  back  over  the 
shell-torn  fields  to  safety. 

It  is  this  Christ  in  deeds  that  has  made  the  doughnut 
to  take  the  place  of  the  "  cup  of  cold  water  "  given  in  Hia 


20      FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN 

name.  It  is  this  Christ  in  deeds  that  has  brought  from  our 
humble  ranks  the  modern  Florence  Nightingales  and  taken 
to  the  gory  horrors  of  the  battlefields  the  white,  uplifting 
influences  of  pure  womanhood.  It  is  this  Christ  in  deeds 
that  made  Sir  Arthur  Stanley  say,  when  thanking  our  Gen- 
ral  for  $10,000  donated  for  more  ambulances :  "I  thank 
you  for  the  money,  but  much  more  for  the  men ;  they  are 
quite  the  best  in  our  service." 

It  is  this  Christ  who  has  given  to  our  humblest  service 
a  sheen — something  of  a  glory — which  the  troops  have 
caught,  and  which  will  make  these  simple  deeds  to  hold 
tenaciously  to  history,  and  to  outlive  the  effacing  fingers 
of  time — even  to  defy  the  very  dissolution  of  death. 

As  Premier  Clemenceau  said:  "We  must  love.  We 
must  believe.  This  is  the  secret  of  life.  If  we  fail  to  learn 
this  lesson,  we  exist  without  living:  we  die  in  ignorance 
of  the  reality  of  life." 

A  senator,  after  several  months  spent  in  France,  stated : 
"It  is  my  opinion  that  the  secret  of  the  success  of  this 
organization  is  their  complete  abandonment  to  their  cause, 
the  service  of  the  man" 

Of  the  many  beautiful  tributes  paid  to  us  by  a  most 
gracious  public,  and  by  the  noblest-hearted  and  most  kindly 
and  gallant  army  that  ever  stood  up  in  uniform,  perhaps 
the  most  correct  is  this:  Complete  abandonment  to  the 
service  of  the  man. 

This,  in  large  measure,  is  the  cause  of  our  success  all 
over  the  world. 

When  you  come  to  think  of  it,  the  Salvation  Army  is 
a  remarkable  arrangement.  It  is  remarkable  in  its  con- 
struction. It  is  a  great  empire.  An  empire  geographically 


FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN      21 

unlike  any  other.  It  is  an  empire  without  a  frontier.  It 
is  an  empire  made  up  of  geographical  fragments,  parted 
from  each  other  by  vast  stretches  of  railroad  and  immense 
sweeps  of  sea.  It  is  an  empire  composed  of  a  tangle  of 
races,  tongues,  and  colors,  of  types  of  civilization  and  en- 
lightened barbarism  such  as  never  before  in  all  human  his- 
tory gathered  together  under  one  flag. 

It  is  an  army,  with  its  titles  rambling  into  all  lan- 
guages, a  soldiery  spreading  over  all  lands,  a  banner  upon 
which  the  sun  never  goes  down — with  its  head  in  the  heart 
of  a  cluster  of  islands  set  in  the  grey,  wind-blown  Northern 
seas,  while  its  territories  are  scattered  over  every  sea  and 
under  every  sky. 

The  world  has  wondered  what  has  been  the  controlling 
force  holding  this  strange  empire  together.  What  is  the 
electro-magnetism  governing  its  furthest  atom  as  though 
it  were  at  your  elbow  ?  What  is  the  magic  sceptre  that  com- 
pels this  diversity  of  peoples  to  act  as  one  man?  What  is 
the  master  passion  uniting  these  multifarious  pulsations 
into  one  heart-beat? 

Has  it  been  a  sworn-to  signature  attached  to  bond  or 
paper?  No;  these  can  all  too  readily  be  designated 
"  scraps  "  and  be  rent  in  twain.  Has  it  been  self -interest 
and  worldly  fame?  No,  for  all  selfish  gain  has  had  to  be 
sacrificed  upon  the  threshold  of  the  contract.  Has  it  been 
the  bond  of  kinship,  or  blood,  or  speech?  No,  for  under 
this  banner  the  British  master  has  become  the  servant  of 
the  Hindoo,  and  the  American  has  gone  to  lay  down  his 
life  upon  the  veldts  of  Africa.  Has  it  been  the  bond  of 
that  almost  supernatural  force,  glorious  patriotism?  No, 
not  even  this,  for  while  we  "  know  no  man  after  the  flesh," 


22      FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN 

we  recognize  our  brother  in  all  the  families  of  the  earth, 
and  our  General  infused  into  the  breasts  of  his  followers  the 
sacred  conviction  that  the  Salvationist's  country  is  the 
world. 

What  was  it?  What  is  it?  Those  ties  created  by  a 
spiritual  ideal.  Our  love  for  God  demonstrated  by  our 
sacrifice  for  man. 

My  father,  in  a  private  audience  with  the  late  Bang 
Edward,  said :  "  Your  Majesty,  some  men's  passion  is 
gold;  some  men's  passion  is  art;  some  men's  passion  is 
fame ;  my  passion  is  man !  " 

This  was  in  our  Founder's  breast  the  white  flame  which 
ignited  like  sparks  in  the  hearts  of  all  his  followers. 

Man  is  our  life's  passion. 

It  is.  for  man  we  have  laid  our  lives  upon  the  altar. 
It  is  for  man  we  have  entered  into  a  contract  with  our 
God  which  signs  away  our  claim  to  any  and  all  selfish  ends. 
It  is  for  man  we  have  sworn  to  our  own  hurt,  and — my 
God  thou  knowest — when  the  hurt  came,  hard  and  hot  and 
fast,  it  was  for  man  we  held  tenaciously  to  the  bargain. 

After  the  torpedoing  of  the  AbouHr  two  sailors  found 
themselves  clinging  to  a  spar  which  was  not  sufficiently 
buoyant  to  keep  them  both  afloat.  Harry,  a  Salvationist, 
grasped  the  situation  and  said  to  his  mate :  "  Tom,  for  me 
to  die  will  mean  to  go  home  to  mother.  I  don't  think  it's 
quite  the  same  for  you,  so  you  hold  to  the  spar  and  I  will 
go  down;  but  promise  me  if  you  are  picked  up  you  will 
make  my  God  your  God  and  my  people  your  people."  Tom 
was  rescued  and  told  to  a  weeping  audience  in  a  Salvation 
Army  hall  the  act  of  self-sacrifice  which  had  saved  his  life, 


FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN      23 

and  testified  to  keeping  his  promise  to  the  boy  who  had 
died  for  him. 

When  the  Empress  of  Ireland  went  down  with  a  hun- 
dred and  thirty  Salvation  Army  officers  on  board,  one  hun- 
dred and  nine  officers  were  drowned,  and  not  one  body 
that  was  picked  up  had  on  a  life-belt.  The  few  survivors 
told  how  the  Salvationists,  finding  there  were  not  enough 
life-preservers  for  all,  took  off  their  own  belts  and  strapped 
them  upon  even  strong  men,  saying,  "  I  can  die  better  than 
you  can ; "  and  from  the  deck  of  that  sinking  boat  they 
flung  their  battle-cry  around  the  world — Others! 

Man!  Sometimes  I  think  God  has  given  us  special 
eyesight  with  which  to  look  upon  him.  We  look  through 
the  exterior,  look  through  the  shell,  look  through  the  coat, 
and  find  the  man.  We  look  through  the  ofttimes  repulsive 
wrappings,  through  the  dark,  objectionable  coating  col- 
lected upon  the  downward  travel  of  misspent  years,  through 
the  artificial  veneer  of  empty  seeming — through  to  the 
man. 

He  that  was  made  after  God's  image. 

He  that  is  greater  than  firmaments,  greater  than  suns, 
greater  than  worlds. 

Man,  for  whom  worlds  were  created,  for  whom  Heavens 
were  canopied,  for  whom  suns  were  set  ablaze.  He  in  whose 
being  there  gleams  that  immortal  spark  we  call  the  soul. 

And  when  this  war  came,  it  was  natural  for  us  to  look 
to  the  man — the  man  under  the  shabby  clothes,  enlisting 
in  the  great  armies  of  freedom;  the  man  going  down  the 
street  under  the  spick  anl  span  uniform;  the  man  behind 
the  gun,  standing  in  the  jaws  of  death  hurling  back  world 
autocracy;  the  man,  the  son  of  liberty,  discharging  his 


24      FROM  THE  COMMANDER'S  OWN  PEN 

obligations  to  them  that  are  bound;  the  man,  each  one 
of  them,  although  so  young,  who  when  the  fates  of  the 
world  swung  in  the  balances  proved  to  be  the  man  of  the 
hour;  the  man,  each  one  of  them,  fighting  not  only  for  to- 
day but  for  to-morrow,  and  deciding  the  world's  future; 
the  man  who  gladly  died  that  freedom  might  not  be  dead ; 
the  man  dear  to  a  hundred  million  throbbing  hearts;  the 
man  God  loved  so  much  that  to  save  him  He  gave  His  only 
Son  to  the  unparalleled  sacrifice  of  Calvary,  with  its  meas- 
ureless ocean  of  torment  heaving  up  against  His  Heart  in 
one  foaming,  wrathful,  omnipotent  surge. 

Wherein  is  price?     What  constitutes  cost,  when  the 
question  is  THE  MAN? 


PREFACE  BY  THE  WRITER 

I  WISH  I  could  give  you  a  picture  of  Commander  Evan- 
geline  Booth  as  I  saw  her  first,  who  has  been  the  Source, 
the  Inspiration,  the  Guide  of  this  story. 

I  went  to  the  first  conference  about  this  book  in  curi- 
osity and  some  doubt,  not  knowing  whether  it  was  my  work ; 
not  altogether  sure  whether  I  cared  to  attempt  it.  She  took 
my  hand  and  spoke  to  me.  I  looked  in  her  face  and  saw 
the  shining  glory  of  her  great  spirit  through  those  wonder- 
ful, beautiful,  wise,  keen  eyes,  and  all  doubts  vanished.  I 
studied  the  sincerity  and  beauty  of  her  vivid  face  as  we 
talked  together,  and  heard  the  thrilling  tale  she  was  giving 
me  to  tell  because  she  could  not  take  the  time  from  living  it 
to  write  it,  and  I  trembled  lest  she  would  not  find  me  worthy 
for  so  great  a  task.  I  knew  that  I  was  being  honored  be- 
yond women  to  have  been  selected  as  an  instrument  through 
whom  the  great  story  of  the  Salvation  Army  in  the  War 
might  go  forth  to  the  world.  That  I  wanted  to  do  it  more 
than  any  work  that  had  ever  come  to  my  hand,  I  was  cer- 
tain at  once ;  and  that  my  whole  soul  was  enmeshed  in  the 
wonder  of  it.  It  gripped  me  from  the  start.  I  was  over- 
joyed to  find  that  we  were  in  absolute  sympathy  from 
the  first. 

One  sentence  from  that  earliest  talk  we  had  together 
stands  clear  in  my  memory,  and  it  has  perhaps  uncon- 
sciously shaped  the  theme  which  I  hope  will  be  found 
running  through  all  the  book: 

"Our  people,"  said  she,  flinging  out  her  hands  in  a 
lovely  embracing  movement,  as  if  she  saw  before  her  at  that 

25 


26  PREFACE  BY  THE  WRITER 

moment  those  devoted  workers  of  hers  who  follow  where 
she  leads  unquestioningly,  and  stay  not  for  fire  or  foe,  or 
weariness,  or  peril  of  any  sort : 

"Our  people  know  that  Christ  is  a  living  presence,  that 
they  can  reach  out  and  feel  He  is  near:  that  is  why  they 
can  live  so  splendidly  and  die  so  heroically !  " 

As  she  spoke  a  light  shone  in  her  face  that  reminded 
me  of  the  light  that  we  read  was  on  Moses*  face  after  he 
had  spent  those  days  in  the  mountain  with  God ;  and  some- 
where back  in  my  soul  something  was  repeating  the  words : 
"And  they  took  knowledge  of  them  that  they  had  been 
with  Jesus." 

That  seems  to  me  to  be  the  whole  secret  of  the  wonder- 
ful lives  and  wonderful  work  of  the  Salvation  Army.  They 
have  become  acquainted  with  Jesus  Christ,  whom  to  know 
is  life  eternal ;  they  feel  His  presence  constantly  with  them 
and  they  live  their  lives  "  as  seeing  Him  who  is  invisible." 
They  are  a  living  miracle  for  the  confounding  of  all  who 
doubt  that  there  is  a  God  whom  mortals  may  know  face  to 
face  while  they  are  yet  upon  the  earth. 

The  one  thing  that  these  people  seem  to  feel  is  really 
worth  while  is  bringing  other  people  to  know  their 
Christ.  All  other  things  in  life  are  merely  subservient  to 
this,  or  tributary  to  it.  All  their  education,  culture  and 
refinement,  their  amazing  organization,  their  rare  business 
ability,  are  just  so  many  tools  that  they  use  for  the  uplift 
of  others.  In  fact,  the  word  "  OTHEES  "  appears  here 
and  there,  printed  on  small  white  cards  and  tacked  up  over 
a  desk,  or  in  a  hallway  near  the  elevator,  anywhere,  every- 
where all  over  the  great  building  of  the  New  York  Head- 
quarters, a  quiet,  unobtrusive,  yet  startling  reminder  of  a 
world  of  real  things  in  the  midst  of  the  busy  rush  of  life. 

Yet  they  do  not  obtrude  their  religion.    Rather  it  is  a 


PREFACE  BY  THE  WRITER  27 

secret  joy  that  shines  unaware  through  their  eyes,  and 
seems  to  flood  their  whole  being  with  happiness  so  that 
others  can  but  see.  It  is  there,  ready,  when  the  time  comes 
to  give  comfort,  or  advice,  or  to  tell  the  message  of  the 
gospel  in  clear  ringing  sentences  in  one  of  their  meetings ; 
but  it  speaks  as  well  through  a  smile,  or  a  ripple  of  song,  or 
a  bright  funny  story,  or  something  good  to  eat  when  one  is 
hungry,  as  it  does  through  actual  preaching.  It  is  the  liv- 
ing Christ,  as  if  He  were  on  earth  again  living  in  them. 
And  when  one  comes  to  know  them  well  one  knows  that 
He  is! 

"  Go  straight  for  the  salvation  of  souls :  never  rest 
satisfied  unless  this  end  is  achieved ! "  is  part  of  the  com- 
mission that  the  Commander  gives  to  her  envoys.  It  is 
worth  while  stopping  to  think  what  would  be  the  effect 
on  the  world  if  every  one  who  has  named  the  name  of  Christ 
should  accept  that  commission  and  go  forth  to  fulfill  it. 

And  you  who  have  been  accustomed  to  drop  your  pen- 
nies in  the  tambourine  of  the  Salvation  Army  lassies  at  the 
street  corners,  and  look  upon  her  as  a  representative  of  a 
lower  class  who  are  doing  good  "  in  their  way,"  prepare  to 
realize  that  you  have  made  a  mistake.  The  Salvation 
Army  is  not  an  organization  composed  of  a  lot  of  ignorant, 
illiterate,  reformed  criminals  picked  out  of  the  slums.  There 
may  be  among  them  many  of  that  class  who  by  the  army's 
efforts  have  been  saved  from  a  life  of  sin  and  shame,  and 
lifted  up  to  be  useful  citizens ;  but  great  numbers  of  them, 
the  leaders  and  officers,  are  refined,  educated  men  and 
women  who  have  put  Christ  and  His  Kingdom  first  in  their 
hearts  and  lives.  Their  young  people  will  compare  in  every 
way  with  the  best  of  the  young  people  of  any  of  our  religious 
denominations. 

After  the  privilege  of  close  association  with  them  for 


28  PREFACE  BY  THE  WRITER 

some  time  I  have  come  to  feel  that  the  most  noticeable  and 
lovely  thing  about  the  girls  is  the  way  they  wear  their 
womanhood,  as  if  it  were  a  flower,  or  a  rare  jewel.  One  of 
these  girls,  who,  by  the  way,  had  been  nine  months  in 
France,  all  of  it  under  shell  fire,  said  to  me : 

"  I  used  to  wish  I  had  been  born  a  boy,  they  are  not 
hampered  so  much  as  women  are;  but  after  I  went  to 
France  and  saw  what  a  good  woman  meant  to  those  boys 
in  the  trenches  I  changed  my  mind,  and  I'm  glad  I  was 
born  a  woman.  It  means  a  great  deal  to  be  a  woman." 

And  so  there  is  no  coquetry  about  these  girls,  no  little 
personal  vanity  such  as  girls  who  are  thinking  of  them- 
selves often  have.  They  take  great  care  to  be  neat  and 
sweet  and  serviceable,  but  as  they  are  not  thinking  of  them- 
selves, but  only  how  they  may  serve,  they  are  blest  with  that 
loveliest  of  all  adorning,  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit  and  a 
joy  of  living  and  content  that  only  forgetfulness  of  self 
and  communion  with  Jesus  Christ  can  bring. 

I  feel  as  if  I  would  like  to  thank  every  one  of  them,  men 
and  women  and  young  girls,  who  have  so  kindly  and  gen- 
erously and  wholeheartedly  given  me  of  their  time  and 
experiences  and  put  at  my  disposal  their  correspondence 
to  enrich  this  story,  and  have  helped  me  to  go  over  the 
ground  of  the  great  American  drives  in  the  war  and  see 
what  they  saw,  hear  what  they  heard,  and  feel  as  they  felt. 
It  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  experiences  of  my  life. 

And  she,  their  God-given  leader,  that  wonderful  woman 
whose  wise  hand  guides  every  detail  of  this  marvellous 
organization  in  America,  and  whose  well  furnished  mind  is 
ever  thinking  out  new  ways  to  serve  her  Master,  Christ; 
what  shall  I  say  of  her  whom  I  have  come  to  know  and  love 
so  well? 

Her  exceptional  ability  as  a  public  speaker  is  of  the 


PREFACE  BY  THE  WRITER  29 

widest  fame,  while  comparatively  few,  beyond  those  of  her 
most  trusted  Officers,  are  brought  into  admiring  touch  with 
her  brilliant  executive  powers.  All  these,  however,  unite 
in  most  unstinted  praise  and  declare  that  functioning  in 
this  sphere,  the  Commander  even  excels  her  platform 
triumphs.  But  one  must  know  her  well  and  watch  her 
every  day  to  understand  her  depth  of  insight  into  charac- 
ter, her  wideness  of  vision,  her  skill  of  making  adverse 
circumstances  serve  her  ends.  Born  with  an  innate  genius 
for  leadership,  swallowed  up  in  her  work,  wholly  consecrated 
to  God  and  His  service,  she  looks  upon  men,  as  it  were,  with 
the  eyes  of  the  God  she  loves,  and  sees  the  best  in  everybody. 
She  sees  their  faults  also,  but  she  sees  the  good,  and  is  able 
to  take  that  good  and  put  it  to  account,  while  helping 
them  out  of  their  faults.  Those  whom  she  has  so  helped 
would  kiss  the  hem  of  her  garment  as  she  passes.  It  is 
easy  to  see  why  she  is  a  leader  of  men.  It  is  easy  to  see 
who  has  made  the  Army  here  in  America.  It  is  easy  to 
see  who  has  inspired  the  brave  men  and  wonderful  women 
who  went  to  France  and  labored. 

1  She  would  not  have  me  say  these  things  of  her,  for  she 
is  humble,  as  such  a  great  leader  should  be,  knowing 
all  her  gifts  and  attainments  to  be  but  the  glory  of  her 
Lord;  and  this  is  her  book.  Only  in  this  chapter  can  I 
speak  and  say  what  I  will,  for  it  is  not  my  book.  But  here, 
too,  I  waive  my  privilege  and  bow  to  my  Commander. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  STOET 35 

II.  THE  GONDRECOURT  AREA 48 

HI.  THE  TOUL  SECTOR 129 

TV   THE  MONTDIDIER  SECTOR 147 

V.  THE  TOUL  SECTOR  AGAIN 178 

VI.  THE  BACCARAT  SECTOR 186 

VII.  THE  CHATEAU-THIERRY-SOISSONS  DRIVE 199 

VIII.  THE  SAINT  MIHIEL  DRIVE 217 

DC.  THE  ARGONNE  DRIVE 242 

X.  THE  ARMISTICE 260 

XI.  HOMECOMING 264 

XII.  LETTERS  OF  APPRECIATION 287 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 
General  Bramwell  Booth Frontispiece 

Commander  Evangeline  Booth 4 

Lieutenant  Colonel  William  S.  Barker 48 

Introduced  to  French  Rain  and  French  Mud 49 

She  Called  the  Little  Company  of  Workers  Together  and  Gave 
Them  a  Charge 54 

The  Lasaie  Who  Fried  the  First  Doughnut  in  France 55 

"Tin  Hat  for  a  Halo!  Ah!  She  Wears  It  Well!" 80 

The  Patient  Officers  Who  Were  Seeing  to  All  These  Details 
Worked  Almost  Day  and  Night 81 

Here  During  the  Day  They  Worked  in  Dugouts  Far  Below  the 

Shell-tortured  Earth 112 

They  Came  To  Get  Their  Coats  ^Mended  and  Their  Buttons 

Sewed  On 113 

The  Entrance  to  the  Old  Wine  Cellar  in  Mandres "...   142 

The  Salvation  Army  Was  Told  that  Ansauville  Was  Too  Far 

Front  for  Any  Women  To  Be  Allowed  To  Go 143 

L'Hermitage,  Nestled  in  the  Heart  of  a  Deep  Woods 146 

L'Hermitage,  Inside  the  Tent 147 

"Ma" 168 

They  Had  a  Pie-baking  Contest  in  Gondrecourt  One  Day 169 

A  Letter  of  Inspiration  from  the  Commander 174 

The  Salvation  Army  Boy  Truck  Driver 175 

The  Centuries-old  Gray  Cemetery  in  Treveray 180 

Colonel  Barker  Placing  the  Commander's  Flowers  on  Lieutenant 

Quentin  Roosevelt's  Grave A. 181 

3  S3 


34  ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  Salvation  Army  Boy  Who  Drove  the  Famous  Doughnut 
Truck 228 

Bulhonville,  Promptly  Dubbed  by  the  American  Boy  "Soup- 
town" 229 

Here  They  Found  a  Whole  Little  Village  of  German  Dugouts. .  242 
The  Girls  Who  Came  Down  to  Help  in  the  St.  Mihiel  Drive. .  243 

The  Wrecked  House  in  Neuvilly  Where  the  Lassies  Went  to 
Sleep  in  the  Cellar 246 

The  Wrecked  Church  in  Neuvilly  Where  the  Memorable  Meet- 
ing Was  Held 247 

Right  in  the  Midst  of  the  Busy  Hurrying  Throng  of  Union 
Square 270 

"Smiling  Billy" 271 

Thomas  Estill 284 

The  Hut  at  Camp  Lewis 285 


THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 
THE  SALVATION  ARMY 


THE  STOBY. 

INTO  the  heavy  shadows  that  swathe  the  feet  of  the  tall 
buildings  in  West  Fourteenth  Street,  New  York,  late  in 
the  evening  there  slipped  a  dark  form.  It  was  so  carefully 
wrapped  in  a  black  cloak  that  it  was  difficult  to  tell  among 
the  other  shadows  whether  it  was  man  or  woman,  and  imme- 
diately it  became  a  part  of  the  darkness  that  hovered  close 
to  the  entrances  along  the  way.  It  slid  almost  imper- 
ceptibly from  shadow  to  shadow  until  it  crouched  flatly 
against  the  wall  by  the  steps  of  an  open  door  out  of  which 
streamed  a  wide  band  of  light  that  flung  itself  across  the 
pavement. 

Down  the  street  came  two  girls  in  poke  bonnets  and 
hurried  in  at  the  open  door.  The  figure  drew  back  and 
was  motionless  as  they  passed,  then  with  a  swift  furtive 
glance  in  either  direction  a  head  came  cautiously  out  from 
the  shadow  and  darted  a  look  after  the  two  lassies,  watched 
till  they  were  out  of  sight,  and  a  form  slid  into  the  door- 
way, winding  about  the  turning  like  a  serpent,  as  if  the 
way  were  well  planned,  and  slipped  out  of  sight  in  a  dark 
corner  under  the  stairway. 

Half  an  hour  or  perhaps  an  hour  passed,  and  one  or  two 
hurrying  forms  came  in  at  the  door  and  sped  up  the  stairs 
from  some  errand  of  mercy ;  then  the  night  watchman  came 
and  fastened  the  door  and  went  away  again,  out  somewhere 
through  a  back  room. 

85 


36  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  interloper  was  instantly  on  the  alert,  darting  out 
of  its  hiding  place,  and  slipping  noiselessly  up  the  stairs 
as  quietly  as  the  shadow  it  imitated ;  pausing  to  listen  with 
anxious  mien,  stepping  as  a  cloud  might  have  stepped  with 
no  creak  of  stairway  or  sound  of  going  at  all. 

Up,  up,  up  and  up  again,  it  darted,  till  it  came  to  the 
Tery  top,  pausing  to  look  sharply  at  a  gleam  of  light  under 
a  door  of  some  student  not  yet  asleep. 

Prom  under  the  dark  cloak  slid  a  hand  with  something 
in  it.  Silently  it  worked,  swiftly,  pouring  a  few  drops  here, 
a  few  drops  there,  of  some  colorless,  odorless  matter,  smear- 
ing a  spot  on  the  stair  railing,  another  across  from  it  on 
the  wall,  a  little  on  the  floor  beyond,  a  touch  on  the  window 
seat  at  the  end  of  the  hall,  some  more  on  down  the  stairs. 

On  rubbered  feet  the  fiend  crept  down ;  halting,  listen- 
ing, ever  working  rapidly,  from  floor  to  floor  and  back  to 
the  entrance  way  again.  At  last  with  a  cautious  glance 
around,  a  pause  to  rub  a  match  skilfully  over  the  woolen 
cloak,  and  to  light  a  fuse  in  a  hidden  corner,  he  vanished 
out  upon  the  street  like  the  passing  of  a.  wraith,  and  was 
gone  in  the  darkness. 

Down  in  the  dark  corner  the  little  spark  brooded  and 
smouldered.  The  watchman  passed  that  way  but  it  gave  no 
sign.  All  was  still  in  the  great  building,  as  the  smoulder- 
ing spark  crept  on  and  on  over  its  little  thread  of  existence 
to  the  climax. 

But  suddenly,  it  sprang  to  life !  A  flame  leaped  up  like 
a  great  tongue  licking  its  lips  before  the  feast  it  was  about 
to  devour;  and  then  it  sprang  as  if  it  were  human,  to  an- 
other spot  not  far  away ;  and  then  to  another,  and  on,  and 
on  up  the  stair  rail,  across  to  the  wall,  leaping,  roaring, 
almost  shouting  as  if  in  fiendish  glee.  It  flew  to  the  top 
of  the  house  and  down  again  in  a  leap  and  the  whole  build- 
ing was  enveloped  in  a  sheet  of  flame ! 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  37 

Some  one  gave  the  cry  of  FIRE !  The  night  watchman 
darted  to  his  box  and  sent  in  the  alarm.  Frightened  girls 
in  night  attire  crowded  to  their  doors  and  gasping  fell 
back  for  an  instant  in  horror;  then  bravely  obedient  to 
their  training  dashed  forth  into  the  flame.  Young  men  on 
other  floors  without  a  thought  for  themselves  dropped  into 
order  automatically  and  worked  like  madmen  to  save  every- 
one. The  fire  engines  throbbed  up  almost  immediately,  but 
the  building  was  doomed  from  the  start  and  went  like 
tinder.  Only  the  fire  drill  in  which  they  had  constant 
almost  daily  practice  saved  those  brave  girls  and  boys  from 
an  awful  death.  Out  upon  the  fire  escapes  in  the  bitter 
winter  wind  the  girls  crept  down  to  safety,  and  one  by  one 
the  young  men  followed.  The  young  man  who  was  fire 
sergeant  counted  his  men  and  found  them  all  present  but 
one  cadet.  He  darted  back  to  find  him,  and  that  moment 
with  a  last  roar  of  triumph  the  flames  gave  a  final  leap 
and  the  building  collapsed,  burying  in  a  fiery  grave  two  fine 
young  heroes. 

Afterward  they  said  the  building  had  been  "  smeared  " 
or  it  never  could  have  gone  in  a  breath  as  it  did.  The 
miracle  was  that  no  more  lives  were  lost. 

So  that  was  how  the  burning  of  the  Salvation  Army 
Training  School  occurred. 

The  significant  fact  in  the  affair  was  that  there  had 
been  sleeping  in  that  building  directly  over  the  place  where 
the  fire  started  several  of  the  lassies  who  were  to  sail  for 
France  in  a  day  or  two  with  the  largest  party  of  war 
workers  that  had  yet  been  sent  out.  Their  trunks  were 
packed,  and  they  were  all  ready  to  go.  The  object  was  all 
too  evident. 

There  was  also  proof  that  the  intention  had  been  to 
destroy  as  well  the  great  fireproof  Salvation  Army  National 
Headquarters  building  adjoining  the  Training  School. 


38  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

A  few  days  later  a  detective  taking  lunch  in  a  small 
German  restaurant  on  a  side  street  overheard  a  conversation : 

"Well,  if  we  can't  burn  them  out  we'll  blow  up  the 
building,  and  get  that  damn  Commander,  anyhow !  " 

Yet  when  this  was  told  her  the  Commander  declined 
the  bodyguard  offered  her  by  the  Civic  Authorities,  to  go 
with  her  even  to  her  country  home  and  protect  her  while 
the  war  lasted !  She  is  naturally  a  soldier. 

The  Commander  had  stayed  late  at  the  Headquarters 
one  evening  to  finish  some  important  bit  of  work,  and  had 
given  orders  that  she  should  not  be  interrupted.  The  great 
building  was  almost  empty  save  for  the  night  watchman, 
the  elevator  man,  and  one  or  two  others. 

She  was  hard  at  work  when  her  secretary  appeared  with 
an  air  of  reluctance  to  tell  her  that  the  elevator  man  said 
there  were  three  ladies  waiting  downstairs  to  see  her  on 
some  very  important  business.  He  had  told  them  that  she 
could  not  be  disturbed  but  they  insisted  that  they  must 
see  her,  that  she  would  wish  it  if  she  knew  their  business. 
He  had  come  up  to  find  out  what  he  should  answer  them. 

The  Commander  said  she  knew  nothing  about  them  and 
could  not  be  interrupted  now.  They  must  be  told  to  come 
again  the  next  day. 

The  elevator  man  returned  in  a  few  minutes  to  say  that 
the  ladies  insisted,  and  said  they  had  a  great  gift  for  the 
Salvation  Army,  but  must  see  the  Commander  at  once  and 
alone  or  the  gift  would  be  lost. 

Quickly  interested  the  Commander  gave  orders  that 
they  should  be  brought  up  to  her  office,  but  just  as  they 
were  about  to  enter,  the  secretary  came  in  again  with  great 
excitement,  begging  that  she  would  not  see  the  visitors,  as 
one  of  the  men  from  downstairs  had  'phoned  up  to  her  that 
he  did  not  like  the  appearance  of  the  strangers;  they 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  39 

seemed  to  be  trying  to  talk  in  high  strained  voices,  and  they 
had  very  large  feet.  Maybe  they  were  not  women  at  all. 

The  Commander  laughed  at  the  idea,  but  finally  yielded 
when  another  of  her  staff  entered  and  begged  her  not  to 
see  strangers  alone  so  late  at  night;  and  the  callers  were 
informed  that  they  would  have  to  return  in  the  morning  if 
they  wished  an  interview. 

Immediately  they  became  anything  but  ladylike  in  their 
manner,  declaring  that  the  Salvation  Army  did  not  deserve 
a  gift  and  should  have  nothing  from  them.  The  elevator 
man's  suspicions  were  aroused.  The  ladies  were  attired  in 
long  automobile  cloaks,  and  close  caps  with  large  veils,  and 
he  studied  them  carefully  as  he  carried  them  down  to  the 
street  floor  once  more,  following  them  to  the  outer  door. 
He  was  surprised  to  find  that  no  automobile  awaited  them 
outside.  As  they  turned  to  walk  down  the  street,  he  was 
sure  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  trouser  leg  from  beneath  one 
of  the  long  cloaks,  and  with  a  stride  he  covered  the  space 
between  the  door  and  his  elevator  where  was  a  telephone, 
and  called  up  the  police  station.  In  a  few  moments  more 
the  three  "  ladies "  found  themselves  in  custody,  and 
proved  to  be  three  men  well  armed. 

But  when  the  Commander  was  told  the  truth  about 
them  she  surprisingly  said :  "  I'm  sorry  I  didn't  see  them. 
I'm  sure  they  would  have  done  me  no  harm  and  I  might 
have  done  them  some  good." 

But  if  she  is  courageous,  she  is  also  wise  as  a  serpent, 
and  knows  when  to  keep  'her  own  counsel. 

During  the  early  days  of  the  war  when  there  were 
many  important  matters  to  be  decided  and  the  Commander 
was  needed  everywhere,  she  came  straight  from  a  confer- 
ence in  Washington  to  a  large  hotel  in  one  of  the  great 
western  cities  where  she  had  an  appointment  to  speak  that 


40  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

night.  At  the  revolving  door  of  the  hotel  stood  a  portly 
servitor  in  house  uniform  who  was  most  kind  and  notice- 
ably attentive  to  her  whenever  she  entered  or  went  out,  and 
was  constantly  giving  her  some  pointed  little  attention  to 
draw  her  notice.  Finally,  she  stopped  for  a  moment  to 
thank  him,  and  he  immediately  became  most  flattering, 
telling  her  he  knew  all  about  the  Salvation  Army,  that  he 
had  a  brother  in  its  ranks,  was  deeply  interested  in  their 
work  in  France,  and  most  proud  of  what  they  were  doing. 
He  told  her  he  had  lived  in  Washington  and  said  he  sup- 
posed she  often  went  there.  She  replied  pleasantly  that 
'she  had  but  just  come  from  there,  but  some  keen  intuition 
began  to  warn  this  wise-hearted  woman  and  when  the  next 
question,  though  spoken  most  casually,  was :  "  Where  are 
the  Salvation  Army  workers  now  in  France  ?  "  she  replied 
evasively : 

"Oh,  wherever  they  are  most  needed,"  and  passed  on 
with  a  friend. 

"  I  believe  that  man  is  a  spy ! "  she  said  to  her  friend 
with  conviction  in  her  voice. 

"  Nonsense ! "  the  friend  replied ;  "  you  are  growing 
nervous.  That  man  has  been  in  this  hotel  for  several 
years." 

But  that  very  night  the  man,  with  five  others,  was 
arrested,  and  proved  to  be  a  spy  hunting  information  about 
the  location  of  the  American  troops  in  France. 

Now  these  incidents  do  not  belong  in  just  this  spot  in 
the  book,  but  they  are  placed  here  of  intention  that  the 
reader  may  have  a  certain  viewpoint  from  which  to  take  the 
story.  For  well  does  the  world  of  evil  realize  what  a  strong 
force  of  opponents  to  their  dark  deeds  is  found  in  this 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  41 

great  Christian  organization.  Sometimes  one  is  able  the 
better  to  judge  a  man,  his  character  and  strength,  when 
one  knows  who  are  his  enemies. 


It  was  the  beginning  of  the  dark  days  of  1917. 

The  Commander  sat  in  her  quiet  office,  that  office 
through  which,  except  on  occasions  like  this  when  she 
locked  the  doors  for  a  few  minutes'  special  work,  there 
marched  an  unbroken  procession  of  men  and  affairs,  affect- 
ing both  souls  and  nations. 

Before  her  on  the  broad  desk  lay  title  notes  of  a  new 
address  which  she  was  preparing  to  deliver  that  evening, 
but  her  eyes  were  looking  out  of  the  wide  window,  across  the 
clustering  roofs  of  the  great  city  to  the  white  horizon  line, 
and  afar  over  the  great  water  to  the  terrible  scene  of  the 
Strife  of  Nations. 

For  a  long  time  her  thoughts  had  been  turning  that 
way,  for  she  had  many  beloved  comrades  in  that  fight,  both 
warring  and  ministering  to  the  fighters,  and  she  had 
often  longed  to  go  herself,  had  not  her  work  held  her  here. 
But  now  at  last  the  call  had  come !  America  had  entered 
the  great  war,  and  in  a  few  days  her  eons  would  be  (march- 
ing from  all  over  the  land  and  embarking  for  over  the  seas 
to  fling  their  young  lives  into  the  inferno;  and  behind 
them  would  stalk,  as  always  in  the  wake  of  War,  Pain  and 
Sorrow  and  Sin!  Especially  Sin.  She  shuddered  as  she 
thought  of  it  all.  The  many  subtle  temptations  to  one 
who  is  lonely  and  in  a  foreign  land. 

Her  eyes  left  the  far  horizon  and  hovered  over  the 
huddling  roofs  that  represented  so  many  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  homes.  So  many  mothers  to  give  up  their  sons ; 
so  many  wives  to  be  bereft;  so  many  men  and  boys  to  be 


42  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

sent  forth  to  suffer  and  be  tried;  so  many  hearts  already 
overburdened  to  be  bowed  beneath  a  heavier  load !  Oh,  her 
people!  Her  beloved  people,  whose  sorrows  and  burdens 
and  sins  she  bore  in  her  heart  and  carried  to  the  feet  of  the 
Master  every  day !  And  now  this  war ! 

And  those  young  men,  hardly  more  than  children,  some 
of  them !  With  her  quick  insight  and  deep  knowledge  of 
the  world,  she  visualized  the  way  of  fire  down  which  they 
must  walk,  and  her  soul  was  stricken  with  the  thought  of 
it !  It  was  her  work  and  the  work  of  her  chosen  Army  to 
help  and  save,  but  what  could  she  do  in  such  a  momentous 
crisis  as  this?  She  had  no  money  for  new  work.  Oppor- 
tunities had  opened  up  so  fast.  The  Treasury  was  already 
overtaxed  with  the  needs  on  this  side  of  the  water.  There 
were  enterprises  started  that  could  not  be  given  up  with- 
out losing  precious  souls  who  were  on  the  way  toward  be- 
coming redeemed  men  and  women,  fit  citizens  of  this  world 
and  the  next.  There  was  no  surplus,  ever!  The  multi- 
farious efforts  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  poorest  of  the  cities' 
poor,  alone,  kept  everyone  on  the  strain.  There  seemed  no 
possibility  of  doing  more.  Besides,  how  could  they  spare 
the  workers  to  meet  the  new  demand  without  taking  them 
from  places  where  they  were  greatly  needed  at  home? 

And  other  perplexities  darkened  the  way.  There  were 
those  sitting  in  high  places  of  authority  who  had  strongly 
advised  the  Salvation  Army  to  remain  at  home  and  go  on 
with  their  street  meetings,  telling  them  that  the  battlefield 
was  no  place  for  them,  they  would  only  be  in  the  way.  They 
were  not  adapted  to  a  thing  like  war.  But  well  she  knew  the 
capacity  of  the  Salvation  Army  to  adapt  itself  to  whatever 
need  or  circumstance  presented.  The  same  standard  they 
had  borne  into  the  most  wretched  places  of  earth  in  times 
of  peace  would  do  in  times  of  war. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  43 

Out  there  across  the  waters  the  Salvation  Brothers  and 
Sisters  were  ministering  to  the  British  armies  at  the  front, 
and  now  that  the  American  army  was  going,  too,  duty 
seemed  very  clear ;  the  call  was  most  imperative ! 

The  written  pages  on  her  desk  loudly  demanded  atten- 
tion and  the  Commander  tried  to  bring  her  thoughts  back 
to  them  once  more,  but  again  and  again  the  call  sounded  in 
her  heart. 

She  lifted  her  eyes  to  the  wall  across  the  room  from 
her  desk  where  hung  the  life-like  portrait  of  her  Christian- 
Warrior  father,  the  grand  old  keen-eyed,  wise-hearted 
General,  founder  of  the  movement.  Like  her  father  she 
knew  they  must  go.  There  was  no  question  about  it.  No 
hindrance  should  stop  them.  They  MUST  GO!  The 
warrior  blood  ran  in  her  veins.  In  this  the  world's  greatest 
calamity  they  must  fulfill  the  mission  for  which  he  lived 
and  died. 

"  Go ! "  Those  pictured  eyes  seemed  to  speak  to  her, 
just  as  they  used  to  command  her  when  he  was  here: 
"  You  must  go  and  bear  the  standard  of  the  Cross  to  the 
front.  Those  boys  are  going  over  there,  many  of  them  to 
die,  and  some  are  telling  them  that  if  they  make  the 
supreme  sacrifice  in  this  their  country's  hour  of  need  it 
will  be  all  right  with  them  when  they  go  into  the  world 
beyond.  But  when  they  get  over  there  under  shell  fire  they 
will  know  that  it  is  not  so,  and  they  will  need  Christ,  the 
only  atonement  for  sin.  You  must  go  and  take  the  Christ 
to  them." 

Then  the  Commander  bowed  her  head,  accepting  the 
commission;  and  there  in  the  quiet  room  perhaps  the 
Master  Himself  stood  beside  her  and  gave  her  his  charge — 


44  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

just  as  she  would  later  charge  those  whom  she  would  send 
across  the  water — telling  her  that  He  was  depending  upon 
the  Salvation  Army  to  bear  His  standard  to  the  war. 

Perhaps  it  was  at  this  same  high  conference  with  her 
Lord  that  she  settled  it  in  her  heart  that  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  William  S.  Barker  was  to  be  the  pioneer  to  blaze 
the  way  for  the  work  in  France. 

However  that  may  be  he  was  an  out-and-out  Salvation- 
ist, of  long  and  varied  experience.  He  was  chosen  equally 
for  his  proved  consecration  to  service,  for  his  unselfishness, 
for  his  exceptional  and  remarkable  natural  courage  by 
which  he  was  afraid  of  nothing,  and  for  his  unwavering 
persistence  in  plans  once  made  in  spite  of  all  difficulties. 
The  Commander  once  said  of  him:  "If  you  want  to  see 
him  at  his  best  you  must  put  him  face  to  face  with  a  stone 
vail  and  tell  him  he  must  get  on  the  other  side  of  it.  No 
matter  what  the  cost  or  toil,  whether  hated  or  loved,  he 
would  get  there  I" 

Thus  carefully,  prayerfully,  were  each  one  of  the  other 
workers  selected ;  each  new  selection  born  from  the  struggle 
of  her  soul  in  prayer  to  God  that  there  might  be  no  mis- 
takes, no  unwise  choices,  no  messengers  sent  forth  who 
went  for  their  own  ends  and  not  for  the  glory  of  God. 
Here  lies  the  secret  which  makes  the  world  wonder  to-day 
why  the  Salvation  Army  workers  are  called  "the  real  thing  " 
by  the  soldiers.  They  were  hand-picked  by  their  leader  on 
the  mount,  face  to  face  with  God. 

She  took  no  casual  comer,  even  with  offers  of  money  to 
back  them,  and  there  were  some  of  immense  wealth  who 
pleaded  to  be  of  the  little  band.  She  sent  only  those  whom 
she  knew  and  had  tried.  Many  of  them  had  been  born  and 
reared  in  the  Salvation  Army,  with  Christlike  fathers  and 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  45 

mothers  who  had  made  their  homes  a  little  piece  of  heaven 
below.  All  of  them  were  consecrated,  and  none  went  with- 
out the  urgent  answering  call  in  their  own  hearts. 

It  was  early  in  June,  1917,  when  Colonel  Barker  sailed 
to  France  with  his  commission  to  look  the  field  orer  and 
report  upon  any  and  every  opportunity  for  the  Salvation 
Army  to  serve  the  American  troops. 

In  order  to  pave  his  way  before  reaching  France,  Colonel 
Barker  secured  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Secretary-to- 
the-President  Tumulty,  to  the  American  Ambassador  in 
France,  Honorable  William  G.  Sharp. 

In  connection  with  this  letter  a  curious  and  interesting 
incident  occurred.  When  Colonel  Barker  entered  the  Sec- 
retary's office,  he  noticed  him  sitting  at  the  other  end  of  the 
room  talking  with  a  gentleman.  He  was  about  to  take  a 
geat  near  the  door  when  Mr.  Tumulty  beckoned  to  him  to 
come  to  the  desk.  When  he  was  seated,  without  looking 
directly  at  the  other  gentleman,  the  Colonel  began  to  state 
his  mission  to  Mr.  Tumulty.  Before  he  had  finished  the 
stranger  spoke  up  to  Mr.  Tumulty :  "  Give  the  Colonel  what 
he  wants  and  make  it  a  good  one !  "  And  lo !  he  was  not  a 
stranger,  but  a  man  whose  reform  had  made  no  small  sen- 
sation in  New  York  circles  several  years  before,  a  former 
attorney  who  through  his  wicked  life  had  been  despaired  of 
and  forsaken  by  his  wealthy  relatives,  who  had  sunk  to  the 
lowest  depths  of  sin  and  poverty  and  been  rescued  by  the 
Salvation  Army. 

Continuing  to  Mr.  Tumulty,  he  said :  "  You  know  what 
the  Salvation  Army  has  done  for  me ;  now  do  what  you  can 
for  the  Salvation  Army." 

Mr.  Tumulty  gave  him  a  most  kind  letter  of  introduc- 
tion to  the  American  Ambassador. 

On  his  arrival  in  Liverpool  Colonel  Barker  availed  him- 


46  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

self  of  the  opportunity  to  see  the  very  splendid  work  being 
done  by  the  Salvation  Army  with  the  British  troops,  both 
in  France  and  in  England,  visiting  many  Salvation  Army 
huts  and  hostels.  He  also  put  the  Commander's  plans  for 
France  before  General  Bramwell  Booth  in  London. 

As  early  as  possible  Colonel  Barker  presented  his  letter 
of  introduction  to  the  American  Ambassador,  who  in  turn 
provided  him  with  a  letter  of  introduction  to  General  Per- 
shing  which  insured  a  cordial  reception  by  him.  Mr. 
Sharp  informed  Colonel  Barker  that  he  understood  the 
policy  of  the  American  army  was  to  grant  a  monopoly  of 
all  welfare  work  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  He  feared  the  Salva- 
tion Army  would  not  be  welcome,  but  assured  him  that 
anything  he  could  properly  do  to  assist  the  Salvation  Army 
would  be  most  gladly  done.  In  this  connection  he  stated 
that  he  had  known  of  and  been  interested  in  the  work  of 
the  Salvation  Army  for  many  years,  that  several  men  of 
his  acquaintance  had  been  converted  through  their  activi- 
ties and  been  reformed  from  dissolute,  worthless  characters 
to  kind  husbands  and  fathers  and  good  business  men; 
and  that  he  believed  in  the  Salvation  Army  work  as  a 
consequence. 

On  many  occasions  during  the  subsequent  months,  Mr. 
Sharp  was  never  too  busy  to  see  the  Salvation  Army  rep- 
resentatives, and  has  rendered  valuable  assistance  in  facili- 
tating the  forwarding  of  additional  workers  by  his  influence 
with  the  State  Department. 

It  appeared  that  among  military  officers  a  kind  feeling 
existed  toward  the  Salvation  Army,  though  it  was  generally 
thought  that  there  was  no  opening  for  their  service.  Their 
conception  of  the  Salvation  Army  was  that  of  street  corner 
meetings  and  public  charity.  The  officers  at  that  time 
could  not  see  that  the  soldiers  needed  charity  or  that  they 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  47 

would  be  interested  in  religion.  They  could  see  how  a 
reading-room,  game-room  and  entertainments  might  be 
helpful,  but  anything  further  than  that  they  did  not  con- 
sider necessary. 

Colonel  Barker  presented  his  letter  of  introduction  to 
General  Pershing,  and  on  behalf  of  Commander  Booth 
offered  the  services  of  the  Salvation  Army  in  any  form 
which  might  be  desired. 

General  Pershing,  who  received  the  Colonel  with  excep- 
tional cordiality,  suggested  that  he  go  out  to  the  camps, 
look  the  field  over,  and  report  to  him.  Calling  in  his  chief 
of  staff  he  gave  instructions  that  a  side  car  should  be  placed 
at  Colonel  Barker's  disposal  to  go  out  to  the  camps;  and 
also  that  a  letter  of  introduction  to  the  General  command- 
ing the  First  Division  should  be  given  to  him,  asking  that 
everything  should  be  done  to  help  him. 

The  first  destination  was  Gondrecourt,  where  the  First 
Division  Headquarters  was  established. 


II. 

THE  GONDRECOURT  AREA. 

THE  advance  guard  of  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  had  landed  in  France,  and  other  detachments  were 
arriving  almost  daily.  They  were  received  by  the  French 
with  open  arms  and  a  big  parade  as  soon  as  they  landed. 
Flowers  were  tossed  in  their  path  and  garlands  were 
flung  about  them.  They  were  lauded  and  praised  on  every 
hand.  On  the  crest  of  this  wave  of  enthusiasm  they  could 
have  swept  joyously  into  battle  and  never  lost  their  smiles. 

But  instead  of  going  to  the  front  at  once  they  were 
billeted  in  little  French  villages  and  introduced  to  French 
rain  and  French  mud. 

When  one  discovers  that  the  houses  are  built  of  stone, 
stuck  together  mainly  by  this  mud  of  the  country,  and 
remembers  how  many  years  they  have  stood,  one  gets  a 
passing  idea  of  the  nature  of  this  mud  about  which  the 
soldiers  have  written  home  so  often.  It  is  more  like  Port- 
land cement  than  anything  else,  and  it  is  most  penetrative 
and  hard  to  get  rid  of ;  it  gets  in  the  hair,  down  the  neck, 
into  the  shoes  and  it  sticks.  If  the  soldier  wears  hip-boots 
in  the  trenches  he  must  take  them  off  every  little  while  and 
empty  the  mud  out  of  them  which  somehow  manages  to 
get  into  even  hip-boots.  It  is  said  that  one  reason  the 
soldiers  were  obliged  to  wear  the  wrapped  leggings  was, 
not  that  they  would  keep  the  water  out,  but  that  they  would 
strain  the  mud  and  at  least  keep  the  feet  comparatively 
clean. 
48 


H 

a3 

2  K 
8£ 

ii 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  49 

There  were  sixteen  of  these  camps  at  this  time  and 
probably  twelve  or  thirteen  thousand  soldiers  were  already 
established  in  them. 

There  was  no  great  cantonment  as  at  the  camps  on  this 
side  of  the  water,  nor  yet  a  city  of  tents,  as  one  might 
have  expected.  The  forming  of  a  camp  meant  the  taking 
over  of  all  available  buildings  in  the  little  French  peasant 
villages.  The  space  was  measured  up  by  the  town  mayor 
and  the  battalion  leader  and  the  proper  number  of  men 
assigned  to  each  building.  In  this  way  a  single  division 
covered  a  territory  of  about  thirty  kilometers.  This  sys- 
tem made  a  camp  of  any  size  available  in  very  short  order 
and  also  fooled  the  Huns,  who  were  on  the  lookout  for 
American  camps. 

These  villages  were  the  usual  farming  villages,  typical 
of  eastern  France.  They  are  not  like  American  villages, 
but  a  collection  of  farm  yards,  the  houses  huddled  together 
years  ago  for  protection  against  roving  bands  of  marauders. 
The  farmer,  instead  of  living  upon  his  land,  lives  in  the 
village,  and  there  he  has  his  barn  for  his  cattle,  his  manure 
pile  is  at  his  front  door,  the  drainage  from  it  seeps  back 
under  the  house  at  will,  his  chickens  and  pigs  running 
around  the  streets. 

These  houses  were  built  some  five  or  eight  hundred 
years  ago,  some  a  thousand  or  twelve  hundred  years.  One 
house  in  the  town  aroused  much  curiosity  because  it  was 
called  the  "  new  "  house.  It  looked  just  like  all  the  others. 
One  who  was  curious  asked  why  it  should  have  received 
this  appellative  and  was  told  because  it  was  the  last  one 
that  was  built — only  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 

There  is  a  narrow  hall  or  court  running  through  these 
houses  which  is  all  that  separates  the  family  from  the 
horses  and  pigs  and  cows  which  abide  under  the  same  roof. 

4 


50  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  whole  place  smells  alike.  There  is  no  heat  any- 
where, save  from  a  fireplace  in  the  kitchen.  There  is  a 
community  bakehouse. 

The  soldiers  were  quartered  in  the  barns  and  out- 
houses, the  officers  were  quartered  in  the  homes  of  these 
French  peasants.  There  were  no  comforts  for  either  sol- 
dier or  officer.  It  rained  almost  continuously  and  at  night 
it  was  cold.  No  dining-rooms  could  be  provided  where  the 
men  could  eat  and  they  lined  up  on  the  street,  got  their 
chow  and  ate  it  standing  in  the  rain  or  under  whatever 
cover  they  could  find.  Few  of  them  could  understand  any 
French,  and  all  the  conditions  surrounding  their  presence 
in  France  were  most  trying  to  them.  They  were  drilled 
from  morning  to  night.  They  were  covered  with  mud. 
The  great  fight  in  which  they  had  come  to  participate  was 
still  afar  off.  No  wonder  their  hearts  grew  heavy  with  a 
great  longing  for  home.  Gloom  sat  upon  their  faces  and 
depression  grew  with  every  passing  hour. 

Into  these  villages  one  after  another  came  the  little 
military  side-car  with  its  pioneer  Salvationists,  investigat- 
ing conditions  and  inquiring  the  greatest  immediate  need 
of  the  men. 

All  the  soldiers  were  homesick,  and  wherever  the  little 
car  stopped  the  Salvation  Army  uniform  attracted  imme- 
diate and  friendly  attention.  The  boys  expressed  the 
liveliest  interest  in  the  possibility  of  the  Salvation  Army 
being  with  them  in  France.  These  troops  composed  the 
regular  army  and  were  old-timers.  They  showed  at  once 
their  respect  for  and  their  belief  in  the  Salvation  Army. 
One  poor  fellow,  when  he  saw  the  uniform,  exclaimed: 
"The  Salvation  Army!  I  believe  they'll  be  waiting  for 
us  when  we  get  to  hell  to  try  and  save  us !  " 

It  appeared  that  the  pay  of  the  American  soldier  was 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  51 

so  much  greater  than  that  of  the  French  soldier  that  he 
had  too  much  money  at  his  disposal;  and  this  money  was 
a  menace  both  to  him  and  to  the  French  population.  If 
some  means  could  be  provided  for  transferring  the  soldier's 
money  home,  it  would  help  out  in  the  one  direction  which 
was  most  important  at  that  time. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  French  habit  of  drink- 
ing wine  was  ever  before  the  American  soldier,  and  with 
165  francs  a  month  in  his  pocket,  he  became  an  object  of 
interest  to  the  French  tradespeople,  who  encouraged  him 
to  spend  his  money  in  drink,  and  who  also  raised  the  price 
on  other  commodities  to  a  point  where  the  French  popu- 
lation found  it  made  living  for  them  most  difficult. 

The  Salvation  Army  authorities  in  New  York  were  all 
prepared  to  meet  this  need.  The  Organization  has  one 
thousand  posts  throughout  the  United  States  commanded 
by  officers  who  would  become  responsible  to  get  the  sol- 
dier's money  to  his  family  or  relatives  in  the  United  States. 
A  simple  money-order  blank  issued  in  France  could  be 
sent  to  the  National  Headquarters  of  the  Salvation  Army 
in  New  York  and  from  there  to  the  officer  commanding 
the  corps  in  any  part  of  the  United  States,  who  would 
deliver  the  money  in  person. 

In  this  way  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  soldier  in 
France  would  be  comforted  in  the  knowledge  that  the  Sal- 
vation Army  was  in  touch  with  their  boy;  and  if  need 
existed  in  the  family  at  home  it  would  be  discovered 
through  the  visit  of  the  Salvation  Army  officer  in  the  home- 
land and  immediate  steps  taken  to  alleviate  it. 

Perhaps  this  has  done  more  than  anything  else  to  bring 
the  blessing  of  parents  and  relatives  upon  the  organization, 
for  tens  of  thousands  of  dollars  that  would  have  been  spent 
in  gambling  and  drink  have  been  sent  home  to  widowed 
mothers  and  young  wives. 


52  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

This  suggestion  appealed  very  strongly  to  the  military 
general,  who  said  that  if  the  Salvation  Army  got  into  opera- 
tion it  could  count  upon  any  assistance  which  he  could  give 
it,  and  if  they  conducted  meetings  he  would  see  that  his 
regimental  band  was  instructed  to  attend  these  meetings 
and  furnish  the  music. 

Several  chaplains,  both  Protestant  and  Catholic,  ex- 
pressed themselves  as  being  glad  to  welcome  the  Salvation 
Army  among  them. 

Among  the  Regular  Army  officers  there  was  rather  a 
pessimistic  attitude.  It  was  in  nowise  hostile,  but  rather 
doubtful. 

One  general  said  that  he  did  not  see  that  the  Sal- 
vation Army  could  do  any  good.  His  idea  of  the  Salvation 
Army  being  associated  altogether  with  the  slums  and  men 
who  were  down  and  out.  But  on  the  other  hand,  he  said 
that  he  did  not  see  that  the  Salvation  Army  could  do  any 
harm,  even  if  they  did  not  do  any  good,  and  as  far  as  he 
was  concerned  he  was  agreeable  to  their  coming  in  to  work 
in  the  First  Division;  and  he  would  so  report  to  General 
Pershing. 

St.  Nazaire,  the  base,  was  being  used  for  the  reception 
of  the  troops  as  they  reached  the  shores  of  France.  Here 
was  a  new  situation.  The  men  had  been  cooped  up  on  trans- 
ports for  several  days  and  on  their  landing  at  St.  Nazaire 
they  were  placed  in  a  rest  camp  with  the  opportunity  to 
visit  the  city.  Here  they  were  a  prey  to  immoral  women 
and  the  officer  commanding  the  base  was  greatly  con- 
cerned about  the  matter  and  eagerly  welcomed  the  idea 
of  having  the  Salvation  Army  establish  good  women  in  St. 
Nazaire  who  would  cope  with  the  problem. 

The  report  given  to  General  Perehing  resulted  in  an 
official  authorization  permitting  the  Salvation  Army  to 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  53 

open  their  work  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces, 
and  a  suggestion  that  they  go  at  once  to  the  American 
Training  Area  and  see  what  they  could  do  to  alleviate  the 
terrible  epidemic  of  homesickness  that  had  broken  out 
among  the  soldiers. 

In  the  meantime,  back  in  New  York,  the  Commander 
had  not  been  idle.  Daily  before  the  throne  she  had  laid 
the  great  concerns  of  her  Army,  and  daily  she  had  been 
preparing  her  first  little  company  of  workers  to  go  when 
the  need  should  call. 

There  was  no  money  as  yet,  but  the  Commander  was 
not  to  be  daunted,  and  so  when  the  report  came  from  over 
the  water,  she  borrowed  from  the  banks  twenty-five  thou- 
sand dollars. 

She  called  the  little  company  of  pioneer  workers  to- 
gether in  a  quiet  place  before  they  left  and  gave  them  such 
a  charge  as  would  make  an  angel  search  his  heart.  Before 
the  Most  High  God  she  called  upon  them  to  tell  her  if 
any  of  them  had  in  his  or  her  heart  any  motive  or  ambition 
in  going  other  than  to  serve  the  Lord  Christ.  She  looked 
down  into  the  eyes  of  the  young  maidens  and  bade  them  put 
utterly  away  from  them  the  arts  and  coquetries  of  youth, 
and  remember  that  they  were  sent  forth  to  help  and  save 
and  love  the  souls  of  men  as  God  loved  them;  and  that 
self  must  be  forgotten,  or  their  work  would  be  in  vain. 
She  commanded  them  if  even  at  this  last  hour  any  faltered 
or  felt  himself  unfit  for  the  God-given  task,  that  he  would 
tell  her  even  then  before  it  was  too  late.  She  begged  them 
to  remember  that  they  held  in  their  hands  the  honor  of 
the  Salvation  Army,  and  the  glory  of  Jesus  Christ  their 
Saviour  as  they  went  out  to  serve  the  troops.  They  were 
to  be  living  examples  of  Christ's  love,  and  they  were  to  be 
willing  to  lay  down  their  lives  if  need  be  for  His  sake. 


54  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

There  were  tears  in  the  eyes  of  some  of  those  strong 
men  that  day  as  they  listened,  and  the  look  of  exaltation 
on  the  faces  of  the  women  was  like  a  reflection  from  above. 
So  must  have  looked  the  disciples  of  old  when  Jesus  gave 
them  the  commission  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach 
the  gospel.  They  were  filled  with  His  Spirit,  and  there 
was  a  look  of  utter  joy  and  self-forgetfulness  as  they  knelt 
with  their  leader  to  pray,  in  words  which  carried  them  all 
to  the  very  feet  of  God  and  laid  their  lives  a  willing  sacri- 
fice to  Him  who  had  done  so  much  for  them.  Still  kneel- 
ing, with  bowed  heads,  they  sang,  and  their  words  were  but 
a  prayer.  It  is  a  way  these  wonderful  people  have  of  burst- 
ing into  song  upon  their  knees  with  their  eyes  closed  and 
faces  illumined  by  a  light  of  another  world,  their  whole 
souls  in  the  words  they  are  singing — "  singing  as  unto  the 
Lord ! "  It  reminds  one  of  the  days  of  old  when  the 
children  of  Israel  did  everything  with  songs  and  prayers 
and  rejoicing,  and  the  whole  of  life  was  carried  on  as  if  in 
the  visible  presence  of  God,  instead  of  utterly  ignoring 
Him  as  most  of  us  do  now. 

The  song  this  time  was  just  a  few  lines  of  consecration : 

"  Oh,  for  a  heart  whiter  than  snow! 
Saviour  Divine,  to  whom  else  can  I  go? 
Thou  who  hast  died,  loving  me  so, 
Give  me  a  heart  that  is  whiter  than  snow!" 

The  dramatic  beauty  of  the  scene,  the  sweet,  holy 
abandonment  of  that  prayer-song  with  its  tender,  appeal- 
ing melody,  would  have  held  a  throng  of  thousands  in  awed 
wonder.  But  there  was  no  audience,  unless,  perchance,  the 
angels  gathered  around  the  little  company,  rejoicing  that 
in  this  world  of  sin  and  war  there  were  these  who  had  so 
given  themselves  to  God;  but  from  that  glory-touched 


s2 

55  P) 

^E 


a  > 


THE    LASSIE    WHO    FRIED    THE    FIRST   DOUGHNUT    IN    FRANCE 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  55 

room  there  presently  went  forth  men  and  women  with  the 
spirit  in  their  hearts  that  was  to  thrill  like  an  electric  wire 
every  life  with  which  it  came  in  contact,  and  show  the 
whole  world  what  God  can  do  with  lives  that  are  wholly 
surrendered  to  Him. 

It  was  a  bright,  sunny  afternoon,  August  12th,  when 
this  first  party  of  American  Salvation  Army  workers  set 
sail  for  France. 

No  doubt  there  was  many  a  smile  of  contempt  from 
the  bystanders  as  they  saw  the  little  group  of  blue  uni- 
forms with  the  gold-lettered  scarlet  hatbands,  and  noticed 
the  four  poke  bonnets  among  the  number.  What  did  the 
tambourine  lassies  know  of  REAL  warfare  ?  To  those  who 
reckoned  the  Salvation  Army  in  terms  of  bands  on  the 
street  corner,  and  shivering  forms  guarding  Christmas 
kettles,  it  must  have  seemed  the  utmost  audacity  for  this 
"  play  army  "  to  go  to  the  front. 

When  they  arrived  at  Bordeaux  on  August  21st  they 
went  at  once  to  Paris  to  be  fitted  out  with  French  uniforms, 
as  General  Pershing  had  given  them  all  the  rank  of  mili- 
tary privates,  and  ordered  that  they  should  wear  the  regula- 
tion khaki  uniforms  with  the  addition  of  the  red  Salva- 
tion Army  shield  on  the  hats,  red  epaulets,  and  with  skirts 
for  the  women. 

A  cabled  message  had  reached  France  from  the  Com- 
mander saying  that  funds  to  the  extent  of  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  had  been  arranged  for,  and  would  be  sup- 
plied as  needed,  and  that  a  party  of  eleven  officers  were 
being  dispatched  at  once.  After  that  matters  began  to 
move  rapidly. 

A  portable  tent,  25  feet  by  100  feet,  was  purchased  and 
shipped  to  Demange ;  and  a  touring  car  was  bought  with 
part  of  the  money  advanced. 


56 

Purchasing  an  automobile  in  France  is  not  a  matter 
merely  of  money.  It  is  a  matter  for  Governmental  sanc- 
tion, long  delay,  red  tape — amazing  good  luck. 

At  the  start  the  whole  Salvation  Army  transportation 
system  consisted  of  this  one  first  huge  limousine,  heart- 
lessly overdriven  and  overworked.  For  many  weeks  it  was 
Colonel  Barker's  office  and  bedroom.  It  carried  all  of  the 
Salvation  Army  workers  to  and  from  their  stations,  hauled 
all  of  the  supplies  on  its  roof,  inside,  on  its  fenders,  and 
later  also  on  a  trailer.  It  ran  day  and  night  almost  with- 
out end,  two  drivers  alternating.  It  was  a  sort  of  super- 
car,  still  in  the  service,  to  which  Salvationists  still  refer 
with  an  affectionate  amazement  when  they  consider  its  ter- 
rific accomplishments.  It  hauled  all  of  the  lumber  for  the 
first  huts  and  a  not  uncommon  sight  was  to  see  it  tearing 
along  the  road  at  forty  miles  an  hour,  loaded  inside  and  on 
top  with  supplies,  several  passengers  clinging  to  its  fen- 
ders, and  a  load  of  lumber  or  trunks  trailing  behind.  For 
a  long  time  Colonel  Barker  had  no  home  aside  from  this 
car.  He  slept  wherever  it  happened  to  be  for  the  night — 
often  in  it,  while  sitill  driven.  One  night  he  and  a  Sal- 
vation Army  officer  were  lost  in  a  strange  woods  in  the  car 
until  four  in  the  morning.  They  were  without  lights  and 
there  were  no  real  roads. 

Later,  of  course,  after  long  waiting,  other  trucks  were 
bought  and  to-day  there  are  about  fifty  automobiles  in  this 
service.  Chauffeurs  had  to  be  developed  out  of  men  who 
had  never  driven  before.  They  were  even  taken  from  huts 
and  detailed  to  this  work. 

In  this  first  touring  car  Colonel  Barker  with  one  of 
the  newly  arrived  adjutants  for  driver,  started  to  Demange. 

Twenty  kilometers  outside  of  Paris  the  car  had  a 
breakdown.  The  two  clambered  out  and;  reconnoitered  for 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  57 

help.  There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  take  the  car  back 
to  Paris.  A  man  was  found  on  the  road  who  was  willing 
to  take  it  in  tow,  but  they  had  no  rope  for  a  tow  line. 
Over  in  the  field  by  the  roadside  the  sharp  eyes  of  the 
adjutant  discovered  some  old  rusty  wire.  He  pulled  it  out 
from  the  tangle  of  long  grass,  and  behold  it  was  a  part 
of  old  barbed-wire  entanglements ! 

In  great  surprise  they  followed  it  up  behind  the  camou- 
flage and  found  themselves  in  the  old  trenches  of  1914. 
They  walked  in  the  trenches  and  entered  some  of  the  dug- 
outs where  the  soldiers  had  lived  in  the  memorable  days  of 
the  Marne  fight.  As  they  looked  a  little  farther  up  the 
hillside  they  were  startled  to  see  great  pieces  of  heavy  field 
artillery,  their  long  barrels  sticking  out  from  pits  and 
pointing  at  them.  They  went  closer  to  examine,  and 
found  the  guns  were  made  of  wood  painted  black.  The 
barrels  were  perfectly  made,  even  to  the  breech  blocks 
mounted  on  wheels,  the  tires  of  which  were  made  of  tin. 
They  were  a  perfect  imitation  of  a  heavy  ordnance  piece  in 
every  detail.  Curious,  wondering  what  it  could  mean,  the 
two  explorers  looked  about  them  and  saw  an  old  French- 
man coming  toward  them.  He  proved  to  be  the  keeper  of 
the  place,  and  he  told  them  the  story.  These  were  the 
guns  that  saved  Paris  in  1914. 

Thf  Boche  had  been  coming  on  twenty  kilometers  one 
day,  nineteen  the  next,  fourteen  the  next,  and  were  daily 
drawing  nearer  to  the  great  city.  They  were  so  confident 
that  they  had  even  announced  the  day  they  would  sweep 
through  the  gates  of  Paris.  The  French  had  no  guns 
heavy  enough  to  stop  that  mad  rush,  and  so  they  mounted 
these  guns  of  wood,  cut  away  the  woods  all  about  them  and 
for  three  hundred  meters  in  front,  and  waited  with  their 
pitifully  thin,  ill-equipped  line  to  defend  the  trenches* 


58  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Then  the  German  airplanes  came  and  took  pictures  of 
them,  and  returned  to  their  lines  to  make  plans  for  the 
next  day;  but  when  the  pictures  were  developed  and  en- 
larged they  saw  to  their  horror  that  the  French  had  brought 
heavy  guns  to  their  front  and  were  preparing  to  blow  them 
out  of  France.  They  decided  to  delay  their  advance  and 
wait  until  they  could  bring  up  artillery  heavier  than  the 
French  had,  and  while  they  waited  the  Germans  broke  into 
the  French  wine  cellars  and  stole  the  "  vin  blanche  "  and 
"  vin  rouge."  The  French  call  this  "  light "  wine  and  say 
it  takes  the  place  of  water,  which  is  only  fit  for  washing; 
but  it  proved  to  be  too  heavy  for  the  Germans  that  day. 
They  drank  freely,  not  even  waiting  to  unseal  the  bottles 
of  rare  old  vintage,  but  knocked  the  necks  off  the  bottles 
against  the  stone  walls  and  drank.  They  were  all  drunk 
and  in  no  condition  to  conquer  France  when  their  artillery 
came  up,  and  so  the  wooden  French  guns  and  the  French 
wine  saved  Paris. 

When  the  two  men  finally  arrived  in  Demange  the 
Military  General  greeted  them  gladly  and  invited  them  to 
dine  with  him. 

He  had  for  a  cook  a  famous  French  chef  who  provided 
delicious  meals,  but  for  dessert  the  chef  had  attempted  to 
make  an  American  apple  pie,  which  was  a  dismal  failure. 
The  colonel  said  to  the  general:  "Just  wait  till  our  Sal- 
vation Army  women  get  here  and  I  will  see  that  they  make 
you  a  pie  that  is  a  pie." 

The  General  and  the  members  of  his  staff  said  they 
would  remember  that  promise  and  hold  him  to  it. 

The  pleasure  which  the  thought  of  that  pie  aroused 
furnished  a  suggestion  for  work  later  on. 

Within  two  or  three  days  the  hut  had  arrived.  The 
question  of  a  lot  upon  which  to  place  it  was  most  important. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  59 

The  billeting  officers  stated  that  none  could  be  had  within 
the  town  and  insisted  that  the  hut  would  have  to  be  placed 
in  an  inaccessible  spot  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  but 
Colonel  Barker  asked  the  General  if  he  would  mind  his 
looking  about  himself  and  he  readily  assented.  The  in- 
domitable Barker,  true  to  the  "  never-say-die  "  slogan  of 
the  Salvation  Army,  went  out  and  found  a  splendid  lot 
on  the  main  street  in  the  heart  of  the  town,  which  was 
being  partly  used  by  its  owner  as  a  vegetable  garden.  He 
quickly  secured  the  services  of  a  French  interpreter  and 
struck  a  bargain  with  the  owner  to  rent  the  lot  for  the 
sum  of  sixteen  dollars  a  year,  and  on  his  return  with  the 
information  that  this  lot  had  been  secured  the  General  was 
greatly  impressed. 

A  wire  had  been  sent  to  Paris  instructing  the  men  of 
tine  party  to  come  down  immediately.  A  couple  of  tents 
were  secured  to  provide  temporary  sleeping  accommoda- 
tion and  the  men  lined  up  in  the  chow  line  with  the  dough- 
boys at  meal-time. 

The  six  Salvationists  pulled  off  their  coats  at  once  and 
went  to  work,  much  to  the  amusement  of  a  few  curious 
soldiers  who  stood  idly  watching  them. 

They  discovered  right  at  the  start  that  the  building 
materials  which  had  been  sent  ahead  of  them  had  been 
dumped  on  the  wrong  lot,  and  the  first  thing  they  had  to 
do  was  to  move  them  all  to  the  proper  site.  This  was  no 
easy  task  for  men  who  had  but  recently  left  office  chairs 
and  clerical  work.  Unaccustomed  muscles  cried  out  in  pro- 
test and  weary  backs  ached  and  complained,  but  the  men 
stubbornly  marched  back  and  forth  carrying  big  timbers, 
and  attracting  not  a  little  attention  from  soldiers  who 
wondered  what  in  the  world  the  Salvation  Army  could  be 
up  to  over  in  France.  Some  of  them  were  suspicious.  Had 


60  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

they  come  to  try  and  stuff  religion  down  their  throats? 
If  so,  they  would  soon  find  out  their  mistake.  So,  half 
in  belligerence,  half  in  amusement,  the  soldiers  watched 
their  progress.  It  was  a  big  joke  to  them,  who  had  come 
here  for  serious  business  and  longed  to  be  at  it. 

Steadily,  quietly,  the  work  went  on.  They  laid  the 
timbers  and  erected  the  framework  of  their  hut,  keeping 
at  it  when  the  rain  fell  and  soaked  them  to  the  skin.  They 
were  a  bit  awkward  at  it  at  first,  perhaps,  for  it  was  new 
work  to  them,  and  they  had  but  few  tools.  The  hut  was 
twenty-five  feet  wide  and  a  hundred  feet  long.  The  walls 
went  up  presently,  and  the  roof  went  on.  One  or  two  sol- 
diers were  getting  interested  and  offered  to  help  a  bit ;  but 
for  the  most  part  they  stood  apart  suspiciously,  while  the 
Salvation  Army  worked  cheerily  on  and  finished  the  build- 
ing with  their  own  hands. 

Colonel  Barker  meanwhile  had  gone  back  to  Paris  for 
supplies  and  to  bring  the  women  overland  in  the  automo- 
bile, because  he  was  somewhat  fearful  lest  they  might  'be 
held  up  if  they  attempted  to  go  out  by  train.  The  idea 
of  women  in  the  camps  was  so  new  to  our  American  sol- 
diers, and  so  distasteful  to  the  French,  that  they  presented 
quite  a  problem  until  their  work  fully  justified  their 
presence. 

It  got  about  that  some  real  American  girls  were  com- 
ing. The  boys  began  to  grow  curious.  When  the  big 
French  limousine  carrying  them  arrived  in  the  camp  it 
was  greeted  by  some  of  the  soldiers  with  the  greatest 
enthusiasm  while  others  looked  on  in  critical  silence.  But 
very  soon  their  influence  was  felt,  for  a  commanding  officer 
stated  that  his  men  were  more  contented  and  more  easily 
handled  since  the  unprecedented  innovation  of  women  in 
the  camp  than  they  had  been  within  the  experience  of  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  61 

old  Eegular  Army  officers.  Profanity  practically  ceased  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  hut  and  was  never  indulged  in  in  the 
presence  of  the  Salvationists. 

While  the  hut  was  being  erected  meetings  were  con- 
ducted in  the  open  air  which  were  attended  by  great 
throngs,  and  after  every  meeting  from  one  to  four  or  five 
boys  asked  for  the  privilege  of  going  into  the  tent  at  the 
back  and  being  prayed  with,  and  many  conversions  resulted 
from  these  first  open-air  meetings.  Boys  walked  in  from 
other  camps  from  a  distance  as  far  away  as  five  miles  to 
attend  these  meetings  and  many  were  converted. 

The  hut  was  finally  completed  and  equipped  and  was  to 
be  formally  opened  on  Sunday  evening. 

In  the  meantime  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  getting  busy  also 
establishing  its  work  in  the  campe;  therefore,  the  Salva- 
tion Army  tried  to  place  their  huts  in  towns  where  the  Y. 
was  not  operating,  so  that  they  might  be  able  to  reach  those 
who  had  the  greatest  need  of  them. 

Officers  hod  been  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  De- 
mange  hut  and  immediately  further  operations  in  other 
towns  were  being  arranged. 

A  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut,  however,  followed  quickly  on  the 
heels  of  the  Salvation  Army  at  Demange  and  the  night 
of  the  opening  of  the  Salvation  Army  hut  someone  caane 
to  ask  if  they  would  come  over  to  the  Y.  and  help  in  a 
meeting.  Sure,  they  would  help!  So  the  Staff-Captain 
took  a  cornetist  and  two  of  the  lassies  and  went  over  to 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut. 

It  was  early  dusk  and  a  crowd  was  gathered  about  where 
a  rope  ring  fenced  off  the  place  in  which  a  boxing  match 
had  been  held  the  day  before,  across  the  road  from  the  hut. 
The  band  had  been  stationed  there  giving  a  concert  which 
was  just  finished,  and  the  men  were  sitting  in  a  circle  on 
the  ground  about  the  ring. 


62  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  Salvationists  stood  at  the  door  of  the  hut  and 
looked  across  to  the  crowd. 

"  How  about  holding  our  meeting  over  there  ?  "  asked 
the  Staff-Captain  of  the  man  in  charge. 

"All  right.    Hold  it  wherever  you  like." 

So  a  few  willing  hands  brought  out  the  piano,  and 
the  four  Salvationists  made  their  way  across  to  the  ring. 
The  soldiers  raised  a  loud  cheer  and  hurrah  to  see  the 
women  stoop  and  slip  under  the  rope,  and  a  spirit  of  sym- 
pathy seemed  to  be  established  at  once. 

There  were  a  thousand  men  gathered  about  and  the 
cornet  began  where  the  band  had  left  off,  thrilling  out 
between  the  roar  of  guns. 

Up  above  were  the  airplanes  throbbing  back  and  forth, 
and  signal  lights  were  flashing.  It  was  a  strange  place  for 
a  meeting.  The  men  gathered  closer  to  see  what  was 
going  on. 

The  sound  of  an  old  familiar  hymn  floated  out  on  the 
evening,  bringing  a  sudden  memory  of  home  and  days  when 
one  was  a  little  boy  and  went  to  Sunday-school;  when 
there  was  no  war,  and  no  one  dreamed  that  the  sons  would 
have  to  go  forth  from  their  own  land  to  fight.  A  sudden 
hush  stole  over  the  men  and  they  sat  enthralled  watching 
the  little  band  of  singers  in  the  changing  flicker  of  light 
and  darkness.  Women's  voices!  Young  and  fresh,  too, 
not  old  ones.  How  they  thrilled  with  the  sweetness  of  it : 

"  Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee, 

Nearer  to  Thee, 
E'en  though  it  be  a  cross 
That  raiseth  me." 

A  cross!  Was  it  possible  that  God  was  leading  them 
to  Him  through  all  this  awf ulness  ?  But  the  thought  only 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  63 

hovered  above  them  and  hushed  their  hearts  into  attention 
•as  they  gruffly  joined  their  young  voices  in  the  melody. 
Another  song  followed,  and  a  prayer  that  seemed  to  bring 
the  great  God  right  down  in  their  midst  and  make  Him 
a  beloved  comrade.  They  had  not  got  over  the  wonder 
of  it  when  a  new  note  sounded  on  piano  and  cornet  and 
every  voice  broke  forth  in  the  words: 

"  When  the  trumpet  of  the  Lord  shall  sound 
And  time  shall  be  no  more " 

How  soon  would  that  trumpet  sound  for  many  of  them ! 
Time  should  be  no  more !  What  a  startling  thought ! 

Following  close  upon  the  song  came  the  sweet  voice  of 
a  young  girl  speaking.  They  looked  up  in  wonder,  listen- 
ing with  all  their  souls.  It  was  like  having  an  angel  drop 
down  among  them  to  see  her  there,  and  hear  her  clear, 
unafraid  voice.  The  first  thing  that  struck  them  was 
her  intense  earnestness,  as  if  she  had  a  message  of  great 
moment  to  bring  to  them. 

Her  words  searched  their  hearts  and  found  out  the  weak 
places;  those  fears  and  misgivings  that  they  had  known 
were  there  from  the  beginning,  and  had  been  trying  hard 
to  hide  from  themselves  because  they  saw  no  cure  for  them. 
With  one  clear-cut  sentence  she  tore  away  all  camouflage 
and  set  them  face  to  face  with  the  facts.  They  were  in  a 
desperate  strait  and  they  knew  it.  Back  there  in  the  States 
they  had  known  it.  Down  in  the  camps  they  had  felt  it, 
and  had  made  various  attempts  to  find  something  strong 
and  true  to  help  them,  but  no  one  had  seemed  to  under- 
stand. Even  when  they  went  to  church  there  had  been 
so  much  talk  about  the  "  supreme  sacrifice  "  and  the  glory 
of  dying  for  one's  country,  that  they  had  a  vague  feeling 


64  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

that  even  the  minister  did  not  believe  in  his  religion  any- 
more. And  so  they  had  whistled  and  tried  to  he  jolly  and 
forget.  They  were  all  in  the  same  boat,  and  this  was  a  job 
that  had  to  be  done,  they  couldn't  get  out  of  it;  best  not 
think  about  the  future!  So  they  had  lulled  their  con- 
sciences to  sleep.  But  it  was  there,  back  in  their  minds 
all  the  time,  a  looming  big  awful  question  about  the  here- 
after ;  and  when  the  great  guns  boomed  afar  as  a  few  were 
doing  to-night  and  they  thought  how  soon  they  might  be 
called  to  go  over  the  top,  they  would  have  been  fools  not  to 
have  recognized  it. 

But  here  at  last  was  someone  else  who  understood ! 

She  was  telling  the  old,  old  story  of  Jesus  and  His 
love,  and  every  man  of. them  as  he  listened  felt  it  was 
true.  It  had  been  like  a  vague  tale  of  childhood  before; 
something  that  one  outgrows  and  smiles  at;  but  now  it 
suddenly  seemed  so  simple,  so  perfect,  so  fitted  to  their 
desperate  need.  Just  the  old  story  that  everybody  has 
sinned,  and  broken  God's  law:  that  God  in  His  love  pro- 
vided a  way  of  escape  in  the  death  of  His  Son  Jesus  on  the 
Cross,  from  penalty  for  sin  for  all  who  would  accept  it; 
that  He  gave  every  one  of  us  free  wills;  and  it  was  up  to 
us  whether  we  would  accept  it  or  not. 

There  were  men  in  that  company  who  had  come  from 
college  classes  where  they  had  been  taught  the  foolishness 
of  blood  atonement,  and  who  had  often  smiled  disdain- 
fully at  the  Bible ;  there  were  boys  from  cultured,  refined 
homes  where  Jesus  Christ  had  always  been  ignored;  there 
were  boys  who  had  repudiated  the  God  their  mothers  trusted 
in;  and  there  were  boys  of  lower  degree  whose  lips  were 
foul  with  blasphemy  and  whose  hearts  were  scarred  with 
sin ;  but  all  listened,  now,  in  a  new  way.  It  was  somehow 
different  over  here,  with  the  thunder  of  artillery  in  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  65 

near  distance,  the  hovering  presence  of  death  not  far  away, 
the  flashing  of  signal  lights,  the  hum  of  the  airplanes,  the 
whole  background  of  war.  The  message  of  the  gospel 
took  on  a  reality  it  had  never  worn  before.  When  this  simple 
girl  asked  if  they  would  not  take  Jesus  to-night  as  their 
Saviour,  there  were  many  who  raised  their  hands  in  the 
darkness  and  .many  more  hearts  were  bowed  whose  owners 
could  not  quite  bring  themselves  to  raise  their  hands. 
Then  a  lassie's  voice  began  to  sing,  all  alone: 

"  I  grieved  my  Lord  from  day  to  day, 

I  scorned  His  love,  so  full  and  free, 
And  though  I  wandered  far  away, 

My  Mother's  prayers  have  followed  me. 
I'm  coming  home,  I'm  coming  home, 

To  live  my  wasted  life  anew, 
For  Mother's  prayers  have  followed  me, 

Have  followed  me,  the  whole  world  through. 

"  O'er  desert  wild,  o'er  mountain  high, 

A  wanderer  I  chose  to  be — 
A  wretched  soul  condemned  to  die; 

Still  Mother's  prayers  have  followed  me, 

"  He  turned  my  darkness  into  light, 
This  blessed  Christ  of  Calvary; 
111  praise  His  name  both  day  and  night, 
That  Mother's  prayers  have  followed  me! 
I'm  coming  home,  I'm  coming  home — " 

Only  the  last  great  day  will  reveal  how  many  hearts 
echoed  those  words;  but  the  voices  were  all  husky  with 
emotion  as  they  tried  to  join  in  the  closing  hymn  that 
followed. 

There  were  those  who  lingered  about  the  speakers  and 
wanted  to  inquire  the  way  of  salvation,  and  some  knelt 

5 


66  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

in  a  quiet  corner  and  gave  themselves  to  Christ.  Over  all 
of  them  there  was  a  hushed  thoughtfulness.  When  the 
workers  started  back  to  their  own  hut  the  crowd  went 
with  them,  talking  eagerly  as  they  went,  hovering  about 
wistfully  as  if  here  were  the  first  real  thing  they  had  found 
since  coming  away  from  home. 

Over  at  the  Salvation  Army  hut  another  service  had 
been  going  forward  with  equal  interest,  the  dedication  of 
the  new  building.  The  place  was  crowded  to  its  utmost 
capacity,  and  crowds  were  standing  outside  and  peering 
in  at  the  windows.  Some  of  the  French  people  of  the 
neighborhood,  women  and  children  and  old  men,  had 
drifted  over,  and  were  listening  to  the  singing  in  open- 
eyed  wonderment.  Among  them  one  of  the  Salvation 
Army  workers  had  distributed  copies  of  the  French  "  War 
Cry  "  with  stories  of  Christ  in  their  own  language,  and  it 
began  to  dawn  upon  them  that  these  people  believed  in  the 
same  Jesus  that  was  worshipped  in  their  French  churches ; 
yet  they  never  had  seen  services  like  these.  The  joyous 
music  thrilled  them. 

Before  they  slept  that  night  the  majority  of  the  sol- 
diers in  that  vicinity  had  lost  most  of  their  prejudice 
against  the  littie  band  of  unselfish  workers  that  had  dropped 
so  quietly  down  into  their  midst.  Word  was  beginning  to 
filter  out  from  camp  to  camp  that  they  were  a  good  sort, 
that  they  sold  their  goods  at  cost  and  a  fellow  could  even 
"  jawbone  "  when  he  was  "  broke." 

Salvation  Army  huts  gave  the  soldiers  "jawbone," 
this  being  the  soldier's  name  for  credit.  No  accounts 
were  kept  of  the  amount  allowed  to  each  soldier.  When 
a  soldier  came  to  the  canteen  and  asked  for  "jawbone/* 
he  was  asked  how  much  he  had  already  been  allowed.  If 
the  amount  owed  by  him  already  was  large,  he  was  cautioned 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  67 

not  to  go  too  deeply  into  his  next  pay  check;  but  never 
was  a  man  refused  anything  within  reason.  Frequently 
one  hut  would  have  many  thousands  of  francs  outstanding 
by  the  end  of  a  month.  But,  although  there  was  no  check 
against  them,  soldiers  always  squared  their  accounts  at 
pay-day  and  very  little  indeed  was  lost. 

One  man  came  in  and  threw  300  francs  on  the  counter, 
saying:  "I  owe  you  285  francs.  Put  the  change  in  the 
coffee  fund." 

One  Salvation  Army  Ensign  frequently  loaned  sums  oi 
money  out  of  his  own  pocket  to  soldiers,  asking  that,  when 
they  were  in  a  position  to  return  it,  they  hand  it  in  to  any 
Salvation  Army  hut,  saying  that  it  was  for  him.  He  says 
that  he  has  never  lost  by  doing  this. 

One  day  as  he  was  driving  from  Havre  to  Paris  he  met 
six  American  soldiers  whose  big  truck  had  broken  down. 
They  asked  him  where  there  was  a  Salvation  Army  hut; 
but  there  was  none  in  that  particular  section.  They  had 
no  food,  no  money,  and  no  place  to  sleep.  He  handed 
them  seventy  francs  and  told  them  to  leave  it  at  any  Sal- 
vation Army  hut  for  him  when  they  were  able.  Five 
months  passed  and  then  the  money  was  turned  in  to  a 
Salvation  Artoiy  hut  and  forwarded  to  him.  With  it  was 
a  note  stating  that  the  men  had  been  with  the  French, 
troops  and  had1  not  been  able  to  reach  a  Salvation  Army 
establishment.  They  were  very  grateful  for  the  trust  re- 
posed in  them  by  the  Salvationist.  Undoubtedly  there  are 
many  such  instances. 

The  Salvation  Army  officer  who  with  his  wife  was  put 
in  charge  of  the  hut  at  Deonange,  soon  became  one  of  the 
most  popular  men  in  camp.  His  generous  spirit,  no  less 
than  his  rough-and-ready  good  nature,  manful,  soldier-like 
disposition,  coupled  with  a  sturdy  self-respect  and  a  ready 


68  THE  WAK  ROMANCE  OF 

humor,  made  him  Wood  brother  to  those  hard-bitten  old 
regulars  and  National  Guardsmen  of  the  first  American 
Expeditionary  Force. 

The  Salvation  Army  quickly  became  popular.  Meet- 
ings were  held  almost  every  night  at  that  time  with  an 
average  attendance  of  not  less  than  five  hundred.  Meetings 
as  a  rule  were  confined  to  wonderful  song  services  and  brief, 
snappy  talks.  At  first  there  were  very  few  conversions,  but 
there  have  been  more  since  the  great  drives  in  which  the 
Americans  have  taken  so  large  a  share.  The  Masons,  the 
Moose  and  a  Jewish  fraternity  used  the  hut  for  fraternal 
gatherings.  Catholic  priests  held  mass  in  it  upon  various 
occasions.  The  school  for  officers  and  the  school  for  "  non- 
coms  "  met  in  it.  The  band  practiced  in  it  every  morning. 
Because  of  its  popularity  among  the  men  it  was  known 
among  the  officers  as  "  the  soldiers'  hut."  General  Duncan 
once  addressed  his  staff  officers  in  it  upon  some  important 
matters. 

It  rained  every  day  for  three  months.  The  hut  was  on 
rather  low  ground  and  in  back  of  it  ran  the  river,  consid- 
erably swollen  by  the  rains.  One  night  the  river  rose  sud- 
denly, carried  away  one  tent  and  flooded  the  other  two  and 
the  hut.  The  Salvation  Army  men  spent  a  wild,  wet, 
sleepless  night  trying  to  salvage  their  scanty  personal  be- 
longings and  their  stock  of  supplies.  When  the  river 
retreated  it  left  the  hut  floor  covered  with  slimy  black  mud 
which  the  two  men  had  to  shovel  out.  This  was  a  back- 
breaking  task  occupying  the  better  part  of  two  days. 

The  first  snow  fell  on  the  bitterest  night  of  the  year. 
It  was  preceded  by  the  rain  and  was  damp  and  heavy. 
The  soldiers  suffered  terribly,  especially  the  men  on  guard 
duty  who  had  perforce  to  endure  the  full  blast  of  the  storm. 
During  the  earlier  hours  of  the  night  the  girls  served  all 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  69 

comers  with  steaming  coffee  and  filled  the  canteens  of  the 
men  on  guard  (free) .  When  they  saw  how  severe  the  night 
would  be  they  remained  up  to  keep  a  supply  of  coffee  ready 
for  the  Salvation  Army  men  who  went  the  rounds  through 
the  storm  every  half  hour,  serving  the  sentries  with  the 
warming  fluid. 

That  first  Expeditionary  Force  wanted  for  many  things, 
and  endured  hardships  unthought  of  by  troops  arriving 
later,  after  the  war  industries  at  home  had  swung  into  full 
production.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  secure  stoves,  and 
firewood  was  scarce.  For  every  load  that  went  to  the  Salva- 
tion Army  Hut,  men  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Force 
had  to  do  without,  and  yet  wood  was  always  supplied  to  the 
Salvationists  (it  could  not  be  bought). 

At  St.  Joire,  the  wood  pile  had  entirely  given  out  and 
it  looked  as  if  there  was  to  be  no  heat  at  the  Salvation 
Army  hut  that  night.  The  sergeant  promised  them  half  a 
load,  but  the  wood  wagon  lost  a  wheel  about  a  hundred 
yards  out  of  town. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  the  sergeant  to  the  girls,  "  the  boys 
will  see  that  you  get  some  to-night." 

So  he  requested  every  man  going  up  to  the  Salvation 
Army  hut  that  evening  to  carry  a  stick  of  wood  with  him 
("  a  stick  "  may  weigh  anywhere  from  10  to  100  pounds) . 
By  eight  o'clock  there  was  over  a  wagon  load  and  a  half 
stacked  in  back  of  the  hut. 

Two  small  stoves  cast  circles  of  heat  in  the  big  hut  at 
Demange.  Around  them  the  men  crowded  with  their  wet 
garments  steaming  so  profusely  that  the  hut  often  took 
on  the  appearance  of  a  steam-room  in  a  Turkish  bath. 
The  rest  of  the  hut  was  cold ;  but  compared  to  the  weather 
outside,  it  was  heaven-like.  For  all  of  its  size,  the  hut 
was  frail,  and  the  winter  wind  blew  coldly  through  its 


70  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

many  cracks;  but  compared  with  the  soldier's  billets,  it 
was  a  cozy  palace.  The  Salvationists  spent  hours  each 
week  sitting  on  the  roof  in  the  driving  rain  patching  leaks 
with  tar-paper  and  tacks. 

The  life  was  a  hard  one  for  the  girls.  They  nearly 
froze  during  the  days,  and  at  nights  they  usually  shivered 
themselves  to  sleep,  only  sleeping  when  sheer  exhaustion 
overcame  them.  There  were  no  baths  at  all.  The  experi- 
ence was  most  trying  for  women  and  only  the  spirit  of  the 
great  enterprise  in  which  they  were  engaged  carried  them 
through  the  winter.  Even  soldiers  were  at  times  seen 
weeping  with  cold  and  misery. 

One  night  the  gasoline  tank  which  supplied  light  to 
the  hut  exploded  and  set  the  place  on  fire.  A  whole  regi- 
ment turned  out  of  their  blankets  to  put  out  the  blaze. 
This  meant  more  hours  for  those  in  charge  repairing  the 
roof  in  the  snow.  They  also  had  to  cut  all  of  the  wood  for 
the  hut.  Later  details  were  supplied  to  every  hut  by  the 
military  authorities  to  cut  wood,  sweep  and  clean  up,  carry 
water,  etc.  Soldiers  used  the  hut  for  a  mess  hall.  There 
was  no  other  place  where  they  could  eat  with  any  degree  of 
comfort. 

By  this  time  the  fact  that  the  Salvation  Army  was 
established  at  Demange  was  becoming  known  throughout 
the  division. 

One  of  the  towns  where  there  had  been  no  arrangements 
made  for  welfare  workers  at  all  was  Montiers-sur-Saulx, 
where  the  First  Ammunition  Train  was  established,  and 
here  the  officer  temporarily  commanding  the  ammunition 
train  gave  a  most  hearty  welcome  to  the  Salvation  Army. 

Two  large  circus  tents  had  been  sent  on  from  New 
York  and  one  of  these  was  to  be  erected  until  a  wooden 
building  could  be  secured. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  71 

The  touring  car  went  back  to  Demange,  picked  up  a 
Staff-Captain,  a  Captain,  five  white  tents,  the  largest  one 
thirty  by  sixty  feet,  the  others  smaller,  carried  them  across 
the  country  and  dropped  them  down  at  the  roadside  of  the 
public  square  in  Montiers. 

There  stood  the  Salvationists  in  the  road  wondering 
what  to  do  next. 

Then  a  hearty  voice  called  out :  "  Are  you  locating  with 
us  ?  "  and  the  military  officer  of  the  day  advanced  to  meet 
them  with  a  hand-shake  and  many  expressions  of  his 
appreciation  of  the  Salvation  Army. 

"We  are  going  to  stay  here  if  you  will  have  us,"  said 
the  Staff-Captain. 

"  Have  you !  Well,  I  should  say  we  would  have  you ! 
Wait  a  minute  and  I'll  have  a  detail  put  your  baggage 
under  cover  for  the  night.  Then  we'll  see  about  dinner  and 
a  billet." 

Thus  auspiciously  did  the  work  open  in  Montiers. 

In  a  few  minutes  they  were  taken  to  a  French  cafe 
and  a  comfortable  place  found  for  them  to  spend  the  night. 

Soon  after  the  rising  of  the  sun  the  next  morning  they 
were  up  and  about  hunting  a  place  for  the  tents  which  were 
to  serve  for  a  recreation  centre  for  the  boys.  The  American 
Major  in  charge  of  the  town  personally  assisted  them  to  find 
a  good  location,  and  offered  his  aid  in  any  way  needed. 

Before  nightfall  the  five  white  tents  were  u-p,  standing 
straight  and  true  with  military  precision,  and  the  two  offi- 
cers with  just  pride  in  their  hard  day's  work,  and  a  secret 
assurance  that  it  would  stand  the  hearty  approval  of  the 
commanding  officer  whom  they  had  not  as  yet  met,  went  off 
to  their  suppers,  for  which  they  had  a  more  than  usually 
hearty  appetite. 

Suddenly  the  door  of  the  dining-room  swung  open  and  a 


72  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

gruff  voice  demanded :  "  Who  put  up  those  tents  ?  "  The 
Salvation  Army  Staff-Captain  stood  forth  saluting  respect- 
fully and  responded :  "  I,  sir."  "  Well,"  said  the  Colonel, 
"they  look  mighty  fine  up  on  that  hill — mighty  fine! 
Splendid  location  for  them — splendid !  But  the  enemy  can 
spot  them  for  a  hundred  miles,  so  I  expect  you  had  better 
get  them  down  or  camouflage  them  with  green  boughs  and 
paint  by  to-morrow  night  at  the  latest.  Good  evening  to 
you,  sir  I" 

The  Staff-Captain  and  his  helper  suddenly  lost  their  fine 
appetites  and  felt  very  tired.  Camouflage !  How  did  they 
do  that  at  a  moment's  notice  ?  They  left  their  unfinished 
dinner  and  hurried  out  in  search  of  help. 

The  first  soldier  the  Staff-Captain  questioned  reassured 
him. 

"  Aw,  that's  dead  easy !  Go  over  the  hill  into  the  woods 
and  cut  some  branches,  enough  to  cover  your  tents;  or 
easier  yet,  get  some  green  and  yellow  paint  and  splash  over 
them.  The  worse  they  look  the  better  they  are !  " 

So  the  weary  workers  hunted  the  town  over  for  paint, 
and  found  only  enough  for  the  big  tent,  upon  which  they 
worked  hard  all  the  next  morning.  Then  they  had  to  go  to 
the  woods  for  branches  for  the  rest.  Scratched  and  bleed- 
ing and  streaked  with  perspiration  and  dirt,  they  finished 
their  work  at  last,  and  the  white  tents  had  disappeared  into 
the  green  and  the  yellow  and  the  brown  of  the  hillside. 
Their  beautiful  military  whiteness  was  gone,  but  they  were 
hidden  safe  from  the  enemy  and  the  work  might  now  go 
forward. 

Then  the  girls  arrived  and  things  began  to  look  a  bit 
more  cheerful. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  73 

"  But  where  is  the  cook  stove  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  lassies 
after  they  had  set  up  their  two  folding  cots  in  one  of  the 
smaller  tents  and  made  themselves  at  home. 

Dismay  descended  upon  the  face  of  the  weary  Staff- 
Captain. 

"Why,"  he  answered  apologetically,  "we  forgot  all 
about  that !  "  and  he  hurried  out  to  find  a  stove. 

A  thorough  search  of  the  surrounding  country,  how- 
ever, disclosed  the  fact  that  there  was  not  a  stove  nor  a 
field  range  to  be  had — no,  not  even  from  the  commissary. 
There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  set  to  work  and  contrive  a 
fireplace  out  of  field  stone  and  clay,  with  a  bit  of  sheet 
iron  for  a  roof,  and  two  or  three  lengths  of  old  sewer  pipe 
carefully  wired  together  for  a  stoveipipe.  It  took  days  of 
hard  work,  and  it  smoked  woefully  except  when  the  wind 
was  exactly  west,  but  the  girls  made  fudge  enough  on  it 
for  the  entire  personnel  of  the  ammunition  train  to  cele- 
brate when  it  was  finished. 

When  the  girls  first  arrived  in  Montiers  the  Salvation 
Army  Staff-Captain  was  rather  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to 
do  with  them  until  the  hut  was  built.  They  were  invited 
to  chow  with  the  soldiers,  and  to  eat  in  an  old  French  barn 
used  as  a  kitchen,  in  front  of  which  the  men  lined  up  at 
the  open  doorways  for  mess.  It  was  a  very  dirty  barn 
indeed,  with  heavy  cobwebs  hanging  in  weird  festoons  from 
the  ceiling  and  straw  and  manure  all  over  the  floor ;  quite 
too  barnlike  for  a  dining-hall  for  delicately  reared  women. 
The  Staff-Captain  hesitated  about  bringing  them  there,  but 
the  Mess-Sergeant  offered  to  clean  up  a  corner  for  them 
and  give  them  a  comfortable  table. 

"I  don't  know  about  bringing  my  girls  in  here  with 
the  men,"  said  the  Staff-Captain  still  hesitating.  "You 


74  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

know  the  men  are  pretty  rough  in  their  talk,  and  they're 
always  cussing ! " 

"  Leave  that  to  me !  "  said  the  Mess-Sergeant.  "  It'll 
be  all  right!" 

There  was  an  old  dirty  French  wagon  in  the  barnyard 
where  they  kept  the  bread.  It  was  not  an  inviting  pros- 
pect and  the  Staff-Captain  looked  about  him  dubiously  and 
went  away  with  many  misgivings,  but  there  seemed  to  be 
nothing  else  to  be  done. 

The  boys  did  their  best  to  fix  things  up  nicely.  When 
meal  time  arrived,  and  the  girls  appeared  they  found  their 
table  neatly  spread  with  a  dish  towel  for  a  tablecloth.  It 
purported  to  be  clean,  but  there  are  degrees  of  cleanliness 
in  the  army  and  there  might  have  been  a  difference  of 
opinion.  However,  the  girls  realized  that  there  had  been 
a  strenuous  attempt  to  do  honor  to  them  and  they  sat 
down  on  the  coffee  kegs  that  had  been  provided  en  lieu  of 
chairs  with  smiling  appreciation. 

The  Staff-Captain's  anxiety  began  to  relax  as  he  noticed 
the  quiet  respectful  attitude  of  the  men  when  they  passed 
by  the  doorway  and  looked  eagerly  over  at  the  corner  where 
the  girls  were  sitting.  It  was  great  to  have  American 
women  sitting  down  to  dinner  with  them,  as  it  were.  Not  a 
"cuss  word"  broke  the  harmony  of  the  occasion.  The 
best  cuts  of  meat,  the  largest  pieces  of  pie,  were  given  to 
the  girls,  and  everybody  united  to  make  them  feel  how 
welcome  they  were. 

Then  into  the  midst  of  the  pleasant  scene  there  entered 
one  who  had  been  away  for  a  few  hours  and  had  not  yet 
been  made  acquainted  with  the  new  order  of  things  at 
chow ;  and  he  entered  with  an  oath  upon  his  lips. 

He  was  a  great  big  fellow,  but  the  strong  arm  of  the 
Mess-Sergeant  flashed  out  from  the  shoulder  instantly, 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  75 

the  sturdy  fist  of  the  Mess-Sergeant  was  planted  most  un- 
expectedly in  the  newcomer's  face,  and  he  found  himself 
sprawling  on  the  other  side  of  the  road  with  all  his  com- 
rades glaring  at  him  in  silent  wrath.  That  was  the  begin- 
ning of  a  new  order  of  things  at  the  mess. 

The  Colonel  in  charge  of  the  regiment  had  gone  away, 
and  the  commanding  Major,  wishing  to  make  things  pleas- 
ant for  the  Salvationists,  sent  for  the  Staff-Captain  and 
invited  them  all  to  his  mess  at  the  chateau;  telling  him 
that  if  he  needed  anything  at  any  time,  horses  or  supplies, 
or  anything  in  his  power  to  give,  to  let  him  know  at  once 
and  it  should  be  supplied. 

The  Staff-Captain  thanked  him,  but  told  him  that  he 
thought  they  would  stay  with  the  boys. 

The  boys,  of  course.,  heard  of  this  and  the  Salvation 
Army  people  had  another  bond  between  them  and  the  sol- 
diers. The  boys  felt  that  the  Salvationists  were  their  very 
own.  Nothing  could  have  more  endeared  them  to  the  boys 
than  to  share  their  life  and  hardships. 

The  Salvation  Army  had  not  been  with  the  soldiers 
many  hours  before  they  discovered  that  the  disease  of  home- 
sickness which  they  had  been  sent  to  succor  was  growing 
more  and  more  malignant  and  spreading  fast. 

The  training  under  French  officers  was  very  severe. 
Trench  feet  with  all  its  attendant  suffering  was  added  to 
the  other  discomforts.  Was  it  any  wonder  that  home- 
sickness seized  hold  of  every  soldier  there? 

It  had  been  raining  steadily  for  thirty-six  days,  mak- 
ing swamps  and  pools  everywhere.  Depression  like  a  great 
heavy  blanket  hung  over  the  whole  area. 

The  Salvation  Army  lassies  at  Montiers  were  in  con- 
sultation. Their  supplies  were  all  gone,  and  the  state  of 
the  roads  on  account  of  the  rain  was  such  that  all  trans- 


76  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

portation  was  held  up.  They  had  been  waiting,  hoping 
against  hope,  that  a  new  load  of  supplies  would  arrive,  but 
there  seemed  no  immediate  promise  of  that. 

"We  ought  to  have  something  more  than  just  choco- 
late to  sell  to  the  soldiers,  anyway,"  declared  one  lassie, 
who  was  a  wonderful  cook,  looking  across  the  big  tent  to 
the  drooping  shoulders  and  discouraged  faces  of  the  boys 
who  were  hovering  about  the  Victrola,  trying  to  extract 
a  little  comfort  from  the  records.  "  We  ought  to  be  able 
to  give  them  some  real  home  cooking !  " 

They  all  agreed  to  this,  but  the  difficulties  in  the  way 
were  great.  Flour  was  obtainable  only  in  small  quantities. 
Now  and  then  they  could  get  a  sack  of  flour  or  a  bag  of 
sugar,  but  not  often.  Ijard  also  was  a  scarce  article.  Be- 
sides, there  were  no  stoves,  'and?  no  equipment  had  as  yet 
been  issued  for  ovens.  All  about  them  were  apple  orchards 
and  they  might  have  baked  some  pies  if  there  had  been 
ovens,  but  at  present  that  was  out  of  the  question.  After 
a  long  discussion  one  of  the  girls  suggested  doughnuts, 
and  even  that  had  its  difficulties,  although  it  really  was 
the  only  thing  possible  at  the  time.  For  one  thing  they 
had  no  rolling-pin  and  no  cake-cutter  in  the  outfit.  Never- 
theless, they  bravely  went  to  work.  The  little  tent  intended 
for  such  things  had  blown  down,  so  the  lassie  had  to  stand 
out  in  the  rain  to  prepare  the  dough. 

The  first  doughnuts  were  patted  out,  until  someone 
found  an  ettnpty  grape-juice  bottle  and  used  that  for  a 
rolling-pin.  As  they  had  no  cutter  they  used  a  knife,  and 
twisted  them,  making  them  in  shape  like  a  cruller.  They 
were  cooked  over  a  wood  fire  that  had  to  be  continually 
stuffed  with  fuel  to  keep  the  fat  hot  enough  to  fry.  The 
pan  they  used  was  only  large  enough  to  cook  seven  at  once, 
but  that  first  day  they  made  one  hundred  and  fifty  big 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  77 

fat  sugary  doughnuts,  and  when  the  luscious  fragrance 
began  to  float  out  on  the  air  and  word  went  forth  that  they 
had  real  e(  honest-to-goodness  "  home  doughnuts  at  the  Sal- 
vation Army  hut,  the  line  formed  away  out  into  the  road 
and  stood  patiently  for  hours  in  the  rain  waiting  for  a  taste 
of  the  dainties.  As  there  were  eight  hundred  men  in  the 
outfit  anl  only  a  hundred  and  fifty  doughnuts  that  first 
day,  naturally  a  good  many  were  disappointed,  but  those 
who  got  them  were  appreciative.  One  boy  as  he  took  the 
first  sugary  bite  exclaimed :  "  Gee !  If  this  is  war,  let  it 
continue ! " 

The  next  day  the  girls  managed  to  make  three  hun- 
dred, but  one  of  them  was  not  satisfied  with  a  doughnut 
that  had  no  hole  in  it,  and  while  she  worked  she  thought, 
until  a  bright  idea  came  to  her.  The  top  of  the  baking- 
powder  can!  Of  course!  Why  hadn't  they  thought  of 
that  before?  But  how  could  they  get  the  hole?  There 
seemed  nothing  just  right  to  cut  it.  Then,  the  very  next 
morning  the  inside  tube  to  the  coffee  percolator  that 
somebody  had  brought  along  came  loose,  and  the  lassie 
stood  in  triumph  with  it  in  her  hand,  calling  to  them  all  to 
see  what  a  wonderful  hole  it  would  make  in  the  doughnut. 
And  so  the  doughnut  came  into  its  own,  hole  and  all. 

That  was  at  Montiers,  the  home  of  the  doughnut. 

One  of  the  older  Salvation  Army  workers  remarked 
jocularly  that  the  Salvation  Army  had  to  go  to  France  and 
get  linked  up  with  the  doughnut  before  America  recog- 
nized it ;  but  it  was  the  same  old  Salvation  Army  and  the 
same  old  doughnut  that  it  had  always  been.  He  averred 
that  it  wasn't  the  doughnut  at  all  that  made  the  Salvation 
Army  famous,  but  the  wonderful  girls  that  the  Salvation 
Army  brought  over  there ;  the  girls  that  lay  awake  at  night 
after  a  long  hard  day's  work  scheming  to  make  the  way  of 


78  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

the  doughboy  easier ;  scheming  how  to  take  the  cold  out  of 
the  snow  and  the  wet  out  of  the  rain  and  the  stickiness  out 
of  the  mud.  The  girls  that  prayed  over  the  doughnuts, 
and  then  got  the  maximum  of  grace  out  of  the  minimum 
of  grease. 

The  young  Adjutant  lassie  who  fried  the  first  doughnut 
in  France  says  that  invariably  the  boys  would  begin  to  talk 
about  home  and  mother  while  they  were  eating  the  dough- 
nuts. Through  the  hole  in  the  doughnut  they  seemed  to 
see  their  mother's  face,  and  as  the  doughnut  disappeared 
it  grew  bigger  and  clearer. 

The  young  Ensign  lassie  who  had  originated  and  made 
the  first  doughnut  in  France  contrived  to  make  many  pies 
on  a  very  tiny  French  stove  with  an  oven  only  large  enough 
to  hold  two  pies  at  a  time.  Meanwhile,  frying  doughnuts 
on  the  top  of  the  stove. 

It  wasn't  long  before  the  record  for  the  doughnut 
makers  had  been  brought  up  to  five  thousand  a  day,  and 
some  of  the  unresting  workers  developed  "  doughnut 
wrist "  from  sticking  to  the  job  too  long  at  a  time. 

It  was  the  original  thought  that  pie  would  be  the  great- 
est attraction,  but  it  was  difficult  to  secure  stoves  with 
ovens  adequate  for  baking  pies,  and  after  the  ensign's  ex- 
periment with  doughnuts  it  was  found  that  they  could 
more  easily  be  made  and  were  quite  as  acceptable  to  the 
American  boy. 

Meantime,  the  pie  was  coming  into  its  own,  back  in 
Demange  also. 

It  was  only  a  little  stove,  and  only  room  to  bake  one 
pie  at  a  time,  but  it  was  a  savory  smell  that  floated  out  on 
the  air,  and  it  was  a  long  line  of  hungry  soldiers  that  hur- 
ried for  their  mess  kits  and  stood  hours  waiting  for  more 
pies  to  bake;  and  the  fame  of  the  Salvation  Army  began 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  79 

to  spread  far  and  wide.  Then  one  day  the  "  Stars  and 
Stripes,"  the  organ  of  the  American  Army,  printed  the 
following  poem  about  the  lassie  who  labored  so  far  for- 
ward that  she  had  to  wear  a  tin  hat: 

"  Home  is  where  the  heart  is  "— - 

Thus  the  poet  sang; 
But  '"  home  is  where  the  pie  is  " 

For  the  doughboy  gang! 
Crullers  in  the  craters, 

Pastry  in  abris — 
This  Salvation  Army  lass 

Sure  knows  how  to  please! 

Tin  hat  for  a  halo! 

Ah!    She  wears  it  well! 
Making  pies  for  homesick  lads 

Sure  is  "beating  hell!" 
In  a  region  blasted 

By  fire  and  flame  and  sword, 
This  Salvation  Army  lass 

Battles  for  the  Lord! 

Call  me  sacrilegious 

And  irreverent,  too; 
Pies?    They  link  us  up  with  home 

As  naught  else  can  do! 
"  Home  ia  where  the  heart  is  "— 

True,  the  poet  sang; 
But  "  home  is  where  the  pie  is  "— 

To  the  Yankee  gang! 

It  wae  no  easy  task  to  open  up  a  chain  of  huts,  for 
there  was  an  amazing  variety  of  details  to  be  attended  to, 
any  one  of  which  might  delay  the  work.  A  hundred  and 
one  unexpected  situations  would  develop  during  the  course 
of  a  single  day  which  must  be  dealt  with  quickly  and  in- 


80  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

telligently.  The  fact  that  the  Salvation  Army  section  of  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force  is  militarized  and  strictly 
accountable  for  all  of  its  action  to  the  United  States  mili- 
tary authorities  is  complicated  in  many  places  by  the 
further  fact  that  the  French  civil  and  military  authorities 
must  also  be  taken  into  consideration  and  consulted  at 
every  step.  Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  all  difficulties  the 
work  went  steadily  forward.  The  patient  officers  who 
were  seeing  to  all  these  details  worked  almost  night  and 
day  to  place  the  huts  and  workers  where  they  would  do 
the  most  good  to  the  greatest  number;  and  steadily  the 
Salvation  Army  grew  in  favor  with  the  soldiers. 

It  was  extremely  difficult  to  obtain  materials  for  the 
erection  of  huts — in  many  cases  almost  impossible.  Once 
when  Colonel  Barker  found  troops  moving,  he  discovered 
the  village  for  which  they  were  bound,  rushed  ahead  in  his 
automobile,  and  commandeered  an  old  French  barracks 
which  would  otherwise  have  been  occupied  by  the  American 
soldiers.  When  the  soldiers  arrived  they  were  overjoyed  to 
find  the  Salvation  Army  awaiting  them  with  hot  food. 
They  were  soaked  through  by  the  rain,  and  never  was  hot 
coffee  more  welcome.  There  was  a  little  argument  about 
the  commandeered  barracks.  It  was  to  have  been  used  as 
headquarters,  but  when  the  commanding  officer  went  out 
into  the  rain  and  saw  for  himself  what  service  it  was  per- 
forming for  his  men,  and  how  overjoyed  they  were  by  the 
entertainment  he  said :  "  We'll  leave  it  to  the  men,  whether 
they  will  be  billeted  here  or  let  the  Salvation  Army  have 
the  place.  The  men  with  one  accord  voted  to  give  it  to  the 
Salvation  Army. 

In  one  town,  after  an  animated  discussion  with  a  crowd 
of  enlisted  men,  a  sergeant  came  to  the  Salvation  Army 


"TIN  HAT  FOR  A  HALO! 
AH!     SHE  WEARS  IT  WELL!" 


THE    PATIENT    OFFICERS    WHO    WERE    SEEING    TO    ALL    THESE    DETAILS 
WORKED   ALMOST  DAY   AND   NIGHT 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY,  81 

Major  as  he  worked  away  with  his  hammer  putting  up  a 
hut  and  said :  "  Captain,  would  it  make  you  mad  if  we 
offered  our  services  to  help  ?  " 

After  that  the  work  went  on  in  record  time.  In  less 
than  a  week  the  hut  was  finished  and  ready  for  business. 
Two  self-appointed  details  of  soldiers  from  the  regulars 
employed  all  their  spare  time  in  a  friendly  rivalry  to  see 
which  could  accomplish  the  most  work.  When  it  was 
dedicated  the  popularity  of  the  hut  was  well  assured. 
Later,  in  another  location,  a  hut  125  feet  by  27  feet  was  put 
up  with  the  assistance  of  soldiers  in  six  hours  and  twenty 
minutes. 

More  men  and  women  had  arrived  from  America,  and 
the  work  began  to  assume  business-like  proportions.  There 
were  huts  scattered  all  through  the  American  training  area. 

As  other  huts  were  established  the  making  of  pies  and 
doughnuts  became  a  regular  part  of  the  daily  routine  of 
the  hut.  It  was  found  that  a  canteen  where  candy  and 
articles  needed  by  the  soldiers  could  be  obtained  at  moderate 
prices  would  fill  a  very  pressing  need  and  this  was  made 
a  part  of  their  regular  operation. 

The  purchase  of  an  adequate  quantity  of  supplies  was  a 
great  problem.  It  was  necessary  to  make  frequent  trips  to 
Paris,  to  establish  connections  with  supply  houses  there, 
and  to  attend  to  the  shipping  of  the  supplies  out  to  the 
camps.  At  first  it  was  impossible  to  purchase  any  quantity 
of  supplies  from  any  house.  The  demand  for  everything 
was  so  great  that  wholesale  dealers  were  most  independent. 
Three  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  supplies  was  the  most  that 
could  be  purchased  from  any  one  house,  but  in  course  of 
time,  confidence  and  friendly  relations  being  established,  it 
became  possible  to  purchase  as  much  as  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars' worth  at  one  time  from  one  dealer. 

6 


82  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  first  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  of  course,  was 
soon  gone,  but  another  fifty  thousand  dollars  arrived  from 
Headquarters  in  New  York,  and  after  a  little  while  another 
fifty  thousand ;  which  hundred  thousand  dollars  was  loaned 
by  General  Bramwell  Booth  from  the  International  Treas- 
ury. The  money  was  not  only  borrowed,  but  the  Com- 
mander had  promised  to  pay  it  back  in  twelve  months 
(which  guarantee  it  is  pleasant  to  state  was  made  good  long 
before  the  promised  time),  for  the  Commander  had  said: 
"It  is  only  a  question  of  our  getting  to  work  in  France, 
and  the  American  public  will  see  that  we  have  all  the 
money  we  want." 

So  it  has  proved. 

In  the  meantime  another  hut  was  established  at  Houde- 
lainecourt. 

The  American  boys  were  drilling  from  early  morning 
until  dark;  the  weather  was  wet  and  cold;  the  roads  were 
seas  of  mud  and  the  German  planes  came  over  the  valleys 
almost  nightly  to  seek  out  the  position  of  the  American 
troops  and  occasionally  to  drop  bombs.  It  was  necessary 
that  all  tents  should  be  camouflaged,  windows  darkened  so 
that  lights  would  not  show  at  night,  and  every  means  used 
to  keep  the  fact  of  the  Americans'  presence  from  the  Ger- 
man observers  and  spies. 

Another  party  of  Salvation  Army  officers,  men  and 
women,  arrived  from  New  York  on  September  23rd,  and 
these  were  quickly  sent  out  to  Demange  which  for  the  time 
being  was  used  as  the  general  base  of  supplies,  but  later  a 
house  was  secured  at  Ligny-en-Barrios,  and  this  was  for 
many  months  the  Headquarters. 

One  interesting  incident  occurred  here  in  connection 
with  this  house.  One  of  its  greatest  attractions  had  been 
that  it  was  one  of  the  few  houses  containing  a  bathroom, 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  83 

but  when  the  new  tenants  arrived  they  found  that  the  antici- 
pated bathtub  had  been  taken  out  with  all  its  fittings  and 
carefully  stowed  away  in  the  cellar.  It  was  too  precious 
for  the  common  use  of  tenants. 

All  Salvation  Army  graduates  from  the  training  school 
have  a  Eed  Cross  diploma,  and  many  are  experienced 
nurses. 

A  Salvation  Army  woman  Envoy  sailed  for  France 
with  a  party  of  Salvationists  about  the  time  that  the  epi- 
demic of  influenza  broke  out  all  over  the  world.  Even 
before  the  steamer  reached  the  quarantine  station  in  New 
York  harbor  a  number  of  cases  of  Spanish  influenza  had 
developed  among  the  several  companies  of  soldiers  who 
were  aboard,  a  number  of  whom  were  removed  from  the 
ship.  So  anxious  were  others  of  these  American  fighting 
men  to  reach  France  that  they  hid  away  until  the  steamer 
had  left  port. 

Land  was  hardly  out  of  sight  before  more  cases  of 
the  disease  were  reported — so  many,  in  fact,  that  special 
hospital  accommodations  had  to  be  immediately  arranged. 
The  ship's  captain  after  consulting  with  the  American 
military  officers,  requested  the  Salvation  Army  Envoy  to 
take  entire  responsibility  for  the  hospital,  which  responsi- 
bility, after  some  hesitation,  she  accepted.  Under  her 
were  two  nurses,  three  dieticians  (Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Eed 
Cross),  a  medical  corps  sergeant  (U.  S.  A.),  and  twenty- 
four  orderlies.  She  took  charge  on  the  fourth  day  of  a 
thirteen  day  voyage,  working  in  the  sick  bay  from  12  noon 
to  8  P.M.,  and  from  12  midnight  to  8  A.M.  every  day.  She 
had  with  her  a  mandolin  and  a  guitar  with  which,  in  addi- 
tion to  her  sixteen  hours  of  duty  in  the  sick  bay,  she  every 
day  spent  some  time  (usually  an  hour  or  two)  on  deck 


84  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

singing  and  playing  for  the  soldiers  who  were  much  de- 
pressed by  the  epidemic.  To  them  she  was  a  very  angel  of 
good  cheer  and  comfort. 

Many  amusing  incidents  occurred  on  the  voyage. 

Stormy  weather  had  added  to  the  discomforts  of  the 
trip  and  most  of  the  passengers  suffered  from  seasickness 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  voyage. 

On  board  there  was  also  a  woman  of  middle  age  who 
could  not  be  persuaded  to  keep  her  cabin  porthole  closed 
at  night.  Again  and  again  a  ray  of  light  was  projected 
through  it  upon  the  surface  of  the  water  and  the  quarter- 
master, whose  duty  it  was  to  see  that  no  lights  were  shown, 
was  at  his  wit's  end.  His  difficulty  was  the  greater  because 
he  could  speak  no  English,  and  she  no  French.  Finally,  a 
passenger  took  pity  on  the  man,  and,  as  the  light  was  really 
a  grave  danger  to  the  ship's  safety,  promised  to  speak  to  the 
woman,  who  insisted  that  she  was  not  afraid  of  submarines 
and  that  it  was  foolish  to  think  they  could  see  her  light. 

"Madam,"  he  said,  "the  quartermaster  here  tells  me 
that  the  sea  in  this  locality  is  infested  with  flying  fish,  who, 
like  moths,  fly  straight  for  any  light,  and  he  is  afraid  that  if 
you  leave  your  porthole  open  they  will  dive  in  upon  you 
during  the  night." 

If  he  had  said  that  the  sea  was  infested  with  flying 
mice,  his  statement  could  not  have  been  more  effective. 
Thereafter  the  porthole  stayed  closed. 

When  the  first  man  died  on  board,  the  Captain  com- 
manding the  soldiers  and  the  ship's  Captain  requested  a 
Salvation  Army  Adjutant  to  conduct  the  funeral  service. 

At  4.30  P.M.  the  ship's  propeller  ceased  to  turn  and 
the  steamer  came  up  into  the  wind.  The  United  States 
destroyer  acting  as  convoy  also  came  to  a  halt.  The  French 
flag  on  the  steamer  and  the  American  flag  on  the  destroyer 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  85 

were  at  half-mast.  Thirty-two  men  from  the  dead  man's 
company  lined  up  on  the  after-deck.  The  coffin  (a  rough 
pine  box),  heavily  weighted  at  one  end,  lay  across  the  rail 
over  the  stern.  Here  a  chute  had  been  rigged  so  that  the 
coffin  might  not  foul  the  ship's  screws.  The  flags  remained 
at  half-mast  for  half  an  hour.  The  Salvation  Army  Adju- 
tant read  the  burial  service  and  prayed.  Passengers  on  the 
promenade  deck  looked  on.  Then  a  bugler  played  taps. 
Every  soldier  stood  facing  the  stern  with  hat  off  and  held 
across  the  breast.  As  the  coffin  slipped  down  the  chute  and 
splashed  into  the  sea  a  firing  squad  fired  a  single  rattling 
volley.  The  ship  came  about  and,  with  a  shudder  of  start- 
ing engines,  continued  her  voyage,  the  destroyer  doing 
likewise. 

During  the  passage  the  Adjutant  conducted  six  such 
funerals,  two  more  being  conducted  by  a  Catholic  priest. 
Four  more  bodies  of  men  who  died  as  they  neared  port 
were  landed  and  buried  ashore. 

In  the  hospital  the  Envoy  was  undoubtedly  the  means 
of  saving  several  lives  by  her  endless  toil  and  by  the  en- 
couragement of  her  cheerful  face  in  that  depressing  place. 
The  sick  men  called  her  "  Mother  "  and  no  mother  could 
have  been  more  tender  than  she. 

"You  look  so  much  like  mother,"  said  one  boy  just 
before  he  died.  "  Won't  you  please  kiss  me  ?  " 

Another  lad,  with  a  great,  convulsive  effort,  drew  her 
hand  to  his  lips  and  kissed  her  just  as  he  passed  away. 

All  of  the  American  officers  and  two  French  officers 
attended  the  funerals  in  full  dress  uniform  and  ten  sailors 
of  the  French  navy  were  also  present. 

The  night  before  the  ship  docked  at  Bordeaux  a  letter 
signed  by  the  Captain  of  the  ship  and  the  American  officers 
was  handed  to  the  Envoy  lady.  It  contained  a  warm  state- 


86  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

merit  of  their  appreciation  of  her  service.  Officers  of  the 
Aviation  Corps  who  were  aboard  the  ship  arranged  a  ban- 
quet to  be  held  in  her  honor  when  they  should  reach  port  j 
but  she  told  them  that  she  was  undir  orders  even  as  they 
were  and  that  she  must  report  to  Paris  Headquarters  at 
once.  And  so  the  banquet  did  not  take  place. 

As  she  left  the  ship,  the  soldiers  were  lined  up  on  the 
wharf  ready  to  march.  When  she  came  down  the  gang- 
plank and  walked  past  them  to  the  street,  they  cheered  her 
and  shouted :  "  Good-bye,  mother !  Good  luck ! " 

As  the  fame  of  the  doughnuts  and  pies  spread  through 
the  camps  a  new  distress  loomed  ahead  for  the  Salvation 
'Army.  Where  were  the  flour  and  the  sugar  and  the  lard 
and  the  other  ingredients  to  come  from  wherewith  to 
concoct  these  delicacies  for  the  homesick  soldiers? 

It  was  of  no  use  to  go  to  the  French  for  white  flour, 
for  they  did  not  have  it.  They  had  been  using  war  bread, 
dark  mixtures  with  barley  flour  and  other  things,  for  a 
long  time.  Besides,  the  French  had  a  fixed  idea  that  every- 
one who  came  from  America  was  made  of  money.  Wood 
was  thirty-five  dollars  a  load  (about  a  cord)  and  had  to 
be  cut  and  hauled  by  the  purchaser  at  that.  There  was  a 
story  current  throughout  the  oamps  that  some  French- 
men were  talking  together  among  themselves,  and  one  asked 
the  rest  where  in  the  world  they  were  going  to  get  the 
money  to  rebuild  their  towns.  "Oh,"  replied  another; 
"haven't  we  the  only  battlefields  in  the  world?  All  the 
Americans  will  want  to  come  over  after  the  war  to  see  them 
and  we  will  charge  them  enough  for  the  sight  to  rebuild 
our  villages ! " 

But  oven  at  any  price  the  French  did  not  have  the 
materials  to  sell.  There  was  only  one  place  where  things 
of  that  sort  could  be  had  and  that  was  from  the  Americans, 


THE^SALVATION  ARMY  87 

and  the  question  was,  would  the  commissary  allow  them  to 
buy  in  large  enough  quantities  to  be  of  any  use?  The 
Salvation  Army  officers  as  they  went  about  their  work, 
were  puzzling  their  brains  how  to  get  around  the  American 
commissary  and  get  what  they  wanted. 

Meantime,  the  American  Army  had  slipped  quietly  into 
Montiers  in  the  night  and  been  billeted  around  in  barns  and 
houses  and  outhouses,  and  anywhere  they  could  be  stowed, 
and  were  keeping  out  of  sight.  For  the  German  High 
Council  had  declared:  "As  soon  as  the  American  Army 
goes  into  camp  we  will  blow  them  off  the  map." 

Day  after  day  the  Germans  lay  low  and  watched.  Their 
airplanes  flew  over  and  kept  close  guard,  but  they  could 
find  no  sign  of  a  camp  anywhere.  No  tents  were  in  sight, 
though  they  searched  the  landscape  carefully;  and  day 
after  day,  for  want  of  something  better  to  do  they  bom- 
barded Bar-le-Duc.  Every  day  some  new  ravishment  of 
the  beautiful  city  was  wrought,  new  victims  buried  under 
ruins,  new  terror  and  destruction,  until  the  whole  region 
was  in  panic  and  dismay. 

)  Now  Bar-le-Duc,  as  everyone  knows,  is  the  home  of 
the  famous  Bar-le-Duc  jam  that  brings  such  high  prices 
the  world  over,  and  there  were  great  quantities  stored  up 
and  waiting  to  be  sold  at  a  high  price  to  Americans  after 
the  war.  But  when  the  bombardment  continued,  and  it 
became  evident  that  the  whole  would  either  be  destroyed  or 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Germans,  the  owners  were  fright- 
ened. Houses  were  blown  up,  burying  whole  families. 
Victims  were  being  taken  hourly  from  the  ruins,  injured 
or  dying. 

A  Salvation  Army  Adjutant  ran  up  there  one  day  with 
his  truck  and  found  an  awful  state  of  things.  The  whole 
place  was  full  of  refugees,  families  bereft  of  their  homes, 


88  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

everybody  that  could  trying  to  get  out  of  the  city.  Just 
by  accident  he  found  out  that  the  merchants  were  willing 
to  sell  their  jam  at  a  very  reasonable  price,  'and  so  he 
bought  tons  and  tons  of  Bar-le-Duc  jam.  That  would  help 
out  a  lot  and  go  well  on  bread,  for  of  course  there  was  no 
butter.  Also  it  would  make  wonderful  pies  and  tarts  if  one 
only  had  the  flour  and  other  ingredients. 

As  he  drove  into  Montiers  he  was  still  thinking  about 
it,  and  there  on  the  table  in  the  Salvation  Army  hut  stood 
as  pretty  a  chocolate  cake  as  one  would  care  to  see.  A 
bright  idea  came  to  the  Adjutant : 

"  Let  me  have  that  cake,"  said  he  to  the  lassie  who  had 
baked  it,  "  and  I'll  take  it  to  the  General  and  see  what  I 
can  do." 

It  turned  out  that  the  cake  was  promised,  but  the  lassie 
said  she  would  bake  another  and  have  it  ready  for  him  on 
his  return  trip ;  so  in  a  few  days  when  he  ca'me  back  there 
was  the  cake. 

Ah !    That  was  a  wonderful  cake ! 

The  lassie  had  baked  it  in  the  covers  of  lard  tins,  four- 
teen inches  across  and  five  layers  high !  There  was  a  layer  of 
cake,  thickly  spread  with  rich  chocolate  frosting,  another 
layer  of  cake,  overlaid  with  the  translucent  Bar-le-Duc 
jam,  a  third  layer  of  cake  with  chocolate,  another  layer 
spread  with  Bar-le-Duc  jam,  then  cake  again,  the  whole 
covered  smoothly  over  with  thick  dark  chocolate,  top  and 
sides,  down  to  the  very  base,  without  a  ripple  in  it.  It  was 
a  wonder  of  a  cake ! 

With  shining  eyes  and  eager  look  the  Adjutant  took 
that  beautiful  cake,  took  also  twelve  hundred  great  brown 
sugary  doughnuts,  and  a  dozen  fragrant  apple  pies  just  out 
of  the  oven,  stowed  them  carefully  away  in  his  truck,  and 
rustled  off  to  the  Officers'  Headquarters.  Arrived  there  he 
took  his  cake  in  hand  and  asked  to  see  the  General.  An 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  89 

officer  with  his  eye  on  the  cake  said  the  General  was  busy 
just  now  but  he  would  carry  the  cake  to  him.  But  the 
Adjutant  declined  this  offer  firmly,  saying :  "  The  ladies  of 
Montiers-sur-Saulx  sent  this  cake  to  the  General,  and  I 
must  put  it  into  his  hands." 

He  was  finally  led  to  the  General's  room  and,  uncov- 
ering the  great  cake,  he  said : 

"  The  Salvation  Army  ladies  of  Montiers-sur-Siaulx 
have  sent  this  cake  to  you  as  a  sample  of  what  they  will 
do  for  the  soldiers  if  we  can  get  flour  and  sugar  and  lard." 

The  General,  greatly  pleased,  took  the  cake  and  sent  for 
a  knife,  while  his  officers  stood  about  looking  on  with  much 
interest.  It  appeared  as  if  every  one  were  to  have  a  taste 
of  the  cake.  But  when  the  General  had  cut  a  generous 
slice,  held  it  up,  observing  its  cunning  workmanship,  its 
translucent,  delectable  interior,  he  turned  with  a  gleam  in 
his  eye,  looked  about  the  room  and  said :  "  Gentlemen,  this 
cake  will  not  be  served  till  the  evening's  mess,  and  I  pity 
the  gentlemen  who  do  not  eat  with  the  officer's  mess,  but 
they  will  have  to  go  elsewhere  for  their  cake." 

The  Adjutant  went  out  with  his  pies  and  doughnuts 
and  distributed  them  here  and  there  where  they  would  do 
the  most  good,  getting  on  the  right  side  of  the  Top  Sergeant, 
for  he  had  discovered  some  time  ago  that  even  with  the 
General  as  an  ally  one  must  be  on  the  right  side  of  the 
"  old  Sarge  "  if  one  wanted  anything.  While  he  was  still 
talking  with  the  officers  he  was  handed  an  order  from  the 
General  that  he  should  be  supplied  with  all  that  he  needed, 
and  when  he  finally  came  out  of  Headquarters  he  found 
that  seven  tons  of  material  were  being  loaded  on  his  car. 
After  that  the  Salvation  Army  never  had  any  trouble  in 
getting  all  the  material  they  needed. 

After  the  tents  in  Montiers  were  all  settled  and  the 


90  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

work  fully  started,  the  Staff-Captain  and  his  helpers  set- 
tled down  to  a  pleasant  little  schedule  of  sixteen  hours 
a  day  work  and  called  it  ease;  but  that  was  not  to  be  en- 
joyed for  long.  At  the  end  of  a  week  the  Salvation  Army 
Colonel  swooped  down  upon  them  again  with  orders  to  erect 
a  hut  at  once  as  the  tents  were  only  a  makeshift  and  winter 
was  coming  on.  He  brought  materials  and  selected  a  site  on 
a  desirable  corner. 

Now  the  corner  was  literally  covered  with  fallen  walls 
of  a  former  building  and  wreckage  from  the  last  year's 
raid,  and  the  patient  workers  looked  aghast  at  the  task 
before  them.  But  the  Colonel  would  listen  to  no  arguments. 

"  Don't  talk  about  difficulties,"  he  said,  brushing  aside 
a  plea  for  another  lot,  not  quite  so  desirable  perhaps,  but 
much  easier  to  clear.  "Don't  talk  about  difficulties;  get 
busy  and  have  the  job  over  with ! " 

One  big  reason  why  the  Salvation  Army  is  able  to  carry 
on  the  great  machinery  of  its  vast  organization  is  that  its 
people  are  trained  to  obey  without  murmuring. 

Cheerfully  and  laboriously  the  men  set  to  work.  Winter 
rains  were  setting  in,  with  a  chill  and  intensity  never  to  be 
forgotten  by  an  American  soldier.  But  wet  to  the  skin 
day  after  day  all  day  long  the  Salvationists  worked  against 
time,  trying  to  finish  the  hut  before  the  snow  should  arrive. 
And  at  last  the  hut  was  finished  and  ready  for  occupancy. 

Such  tireless  devotion,  such  patient,  cheerful  toil  for 
their  sake  was  not  to  be  passed  by  nor  forgotten  by  the 
soldiers  who  watched  and  helped  when  they  could.  Day 
after  day  the  bonds  between  them  and  the  Salvation  Army 
grew  stronger.  Here  were  men  who  did  not  have  to,  and 
yet  who  for  the  sake  of  helping  them,  came  and  lived  under 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  91 

the  same  conditions  that  they  did,  working  even  longer 
hours  than  they,  eating  the  same  food,  enduring  the  same 
privations,  and  whose  only  pay  was  their  expenses. 

At  the  first  the  Salvationists  took  their  places  in  the 
chow  line  with  the  rest,  then  little  by  little  men  near  the 
head  of  the  line  would  give  up  their  places  to  them,  quietly 
stepping  to  the  rear  of  the  line  themselves.  Finally,  no 
matter  how  long  the  line  was  the  men  with  one  consent 
insisted  that  their  unselfish  friends  should  take  the  very 
head  of  the  line  whenever  they  came  and  always  be  served 
first. 

One  day  one  of  the  Salvation  Army  men  swathed  in  a 
big  raincoat  was  sitting  in  a  Ford  by  the  roadside  in  front 
of  a  Salvation  Army  hut,  waiting  for  his  Colonel,  when 
two  soldiers  stopped  behind  him  to  light  their  cigarettes. 
It  was  just  after  sundown,  and  the  man  in  the  car  must 
have  seemed  like  any  soldier  to  the  two  as  they  chatted. 

"  Bunch  of  grafters,  these  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Salvation 
Army  outfits !  "  grumbled  one  as  he  struck  a  match.  "  What 
good  are  the  '  Sallies '  in  a  soldier  camp  ?  " 

"Well,  Buddy,"  said  the  other  somewhat  excitedly, 
"  there's  a  whole  lot  of  us  think  the  Salvation  Army  is 
about  it  in  this  man's  outfit.  For  a  rookie  you  sure  are 
picking  one  good  way  to  'make  yourself  unpopular  tout  de 
suit.e!  Better  lay  off  that  kind  of  talk  until  you  kind  of 
find  out  what's  what.  I  didn't  have  much  use  for  them 
myself  back  in  the  States,  but  here  in  France  they're  real 
folks,  believe  me !  " 

So  the  feeling  had  grown  everywhere  as  the  huts  multi- 
plied. And  the  huts  proved  altogether  too  small  for  the 
religious  meetings,  so  that  as  long  as  the  weather  permit- 
ted the  services  had  to  be  held  in  the  open  air.  It  was  no 
unusual  thing  to  see  a  thousand  men  gathered  in  the  twi- 


92  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

light  around  two  or  three  Salvation  Army  lassies,  sing- 
ing in  sweet  wonderful  volume  the  old,  old  hymns.  The 
soldiers  were  no  longer  amused  spectators,  bent  on  mis- 
chief; they  were  enthusiastic  allies  of  the  organization  that 
was  theirs.  The  meeting  was  theirs. 

"  We  never  forced  a  meeting  on  them,"  said  one  of  the 
girls.  "  We  just  let  it  grow.  Sometimes  it  would  begin 
with  popular  songs,  but  before  long  the  boys  would  ask 
for  hymns,  the  old  favorites,  first  one,  then  another,  al- 
ways remembering  to  call  for  "  Tell  Mother  I'll  Be  There." 

Almost  without  exception  the  boys  entered  heartily  into 
everything  that  went  on  in  the  organization.  The  songs 
were  perhaps  at  first  only  a  reminder  of  home,  but  soon 
they  came  to>  have  a  personal  significance  to  many.  The 
Salvation  Army  did  not  have  movies  and  theatrical  singers 
as  did  the  other  organizations,  but  they  did  not  seem  to 
need  them.  The  men  liked  the  Gospel  meetings  and  came 
to  them  better  than  to  anything  else.  Often  they  would 
come  to  the  hut  and  start  the  singing  themselves,  which 
would  presently  grow  into  a  meeting  of  evident  intention. 

The  Staff-Captain  did  not  long  have  opportunity  to 
enjoy  the  new  hut  which  he  had  labored  so  hard  to  finish 
at  Montiers,  for  soon  orders  arrived  for  him  to  move  on 
to  Houdelainecourt  to  help  put  up  the  hut  there,  and  leave 
Montiers  in  charge  of  a  Salvation  Army  Major. 

The  Salvation  Army  was  with  the  Eighteenth  Infantry 
at  Houdelainecourt. 

It  was  an  old  tent  that  sheltered  the  canteen,  and  it 
had  the  reputation  of  having  gone  up  and  down  five  times. 
When  first  they  put  it  up  it  blew  down.  It  was  located 
where  (two  roads  met  and  the  winds  swept  down  in  every 
direction.  Then  they  put  it  up  and  took  it  down  to  camou- 
flage it.  They  got  it  up  again  and  had  to  take  it  down 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  93 

to  camouflage  it  some  more.  The  regular  division  helped 
with  this,  and  it  was  some  camouflage  when  it  was  done, 
for  the  boys  had  put  their  initials  all  over  it,  and  then, 
had  painted  Christmas  trees  everywhere,  and  on  the  trees 
they  had  put  the  presents  they  knew  they  never  would  get, 
and  so  in  all  the  richness  of  its  record  of  homesickness  the 
old  tent  went  up  again.  They  kept  warm  here  by  means 
of  a  candle  under  an  upturned  tin  pail.  The  tent  blew 
down  again  in  a  big  storm  soon  after  that  and  had  to  be  put 
up  once  more,  and  then  there  came  a  big  rain  and  flooded 
everything  in  the  neighborhood.  It  blew  down  and 
drowned  out  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  everything  else,  and  only 
the  old  tent  stood  for  awhile.  But  at  last  the  storm  was 
too  much  for  it,  too,  and  it  succumbed  again. 

After  that  the  Salvation  Army  put  up  a  hut  for  their 
work.  A  number  of  soldiers  assisted.  They  put  up  a 
stove,  brought  their  piano  and  phonograph,  and  made  the 
place  look  cheerful.  Then  they  got  the  regimental  band  and 
had  an  opening,  the  first  big  thing  that  was  recognized  by 
the  military  authorities.  The  Salvation  Army  Staff-Cap- 
tain in  charge  of  that  zone  took  a  long  board  and  set  candles 
on  it  and  put  it  above  the  platform  like  a  big  chandelier. 
The  Brigade  Commander  was  there,  and  a  Captain  came 
to  represent  the  Colonel.  A  chaplain  spoke.  The  lassies 
who  took  part  in  the  entertainment  were  the  first  girls  the 
soldiers  had  seen  for  many  months. 

Long  before  the  hour  announced  for  the  service  the  sol- 
dier boys  had  crowded  the  hutment  to  its  greatest  capacity. 
Game  and  reading  tables  had  been  moved  to  the  rear  and 
extra  benches  brought  in.  The  men  stood  three  deep  upon 
the  tables  and  filled  every  seat  and  every  inch  of  stand- 
ing room.  When  there  was  no  more  room  on  the  floor,  they 
climbed  to  the  roof  and  lined  the  rafters.  There  was  no 


94 

air  and  the  Adjutant  came  to  say  there  was  too  much  light, 
but  none  of  these  things  damped  the  enthusiasm. 

With  the  aid  of  the  regimental  chaplain,  the  Staff- 
Captain  had  arranged  a  suitable  program  for  the  occasion, 
the  regimental  band  furnishing  the  music. 

When  the  General  entered  the  hutment  all  of  the  men 
stood  and  uncovered  and  the  band  stopped  abruptly  in  the 
middle  of  a  strain.  "  That's  the  worst  thing  I  ever  did — 
stopping  the  music,"  he  exclaimed  ruefully.  He  refused 
to  occupy  the  chair  which  had  been  prepared  for  him,  say- 
ing: "No,  I  want  to  stand  so  that  I  can  look  at  these 
men." 

The  records  of  the  work  in  that  hut  would  be  precious 
reading  for  the  fathers  and  mothers  of  those  boys,  for  the 
Fighting  Eighteenth  Infantry  are  mostly  gone,  having  laid 
their  young  lives  on  the  altar  with  so  many  others. 

Here  is  a  bit  from  one  lassie's  letter,  giving  a  picture 
of  one  of  her  days  in  the  hut : 

"  Well,  I  must  tell  you  how  the  days  are  spent.  We  open  the 
hut  at  7;  it  is  cleaned  by  some  of  the  boys;  then  -at  8  we  com- 
mence to  serve  coooa  and  coffee  and  make  pies  and  doughnuts, 
cup  cakes  and  fry  eggs  and  make  all  kinds  of  eats  until  it  is  all 
you  see.  Well,  can  you  think  of  two  women  cooking  in  one  day 
2500  doughnuts,  8  dozen  cup  cakes,  50  pies,  800  pancakes 
and  225  gallons  of  cocoa,  and  one  other  girl  serving  it  ?  That  is  a 
day's  work  in  my  last  hut.  Then  meeting  at  night,  and  it  lasts 
two  hours." 

A  lieutenant  came  into  the  canteen  to  buy  something 
and  said  to  one  of  the  girls :  "  Will  you  please  tell  me  some- 
thing ?  Don't  you  ever  rest  ?  "  That  is  how  both  the  men 
and  officers  appreciated  the  work  of  these  tireless  girls. 

Men  often  walked  miles  to  look  at  an  American  woman. 
Once  acquainted  with  the  Salvation  Army  lassies  they  came 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  95 

to  them  with  many  and  strange  requests.  Having  picked 
a  quart  or  so  of  wild  berries  and  purchased  from  a  farmer 
a  pint  of  cream  they  would  come  to  ask  a  girl  to  make  a 
strawberry  shortcake  for  them.  They  would  buy  a  whole 
dozen  of  eggs  apiece,  and  having  begged  a  Salvation  Army 
girl  to  fry  them  would  eat  the  whole  dozen  at  a  sitting. 
They  would  ask  the  girls  to  write  their  love  letters,  or  to 
write  assuring  some  mother  or  sweetheart  that  they  were 
behaving  themselves. 

Soldiers  going  into  action  have  left  thousands  of  dol- 
lars in  cash  and  in  valuables  in  the  care  of  Salvation  Army 
officers  to  be  forwarded  to  persons  designated  in  case  they 
are  killed  in  action  or  taken  prisoner.  In  such  cases  it 
is  very  seldom  that  a  receipt  is  given  for  either  money  or 
valuables,  so  deeply  do  the  soldiers  trust  the  Salvation. 
Army. 

One  of  the  girl  Captains  wears  a  plain  silver  ring,  whose 
intrinsic  value  is  about  thirty  cents,  but  whose  moral  value 
is  beyond  estimate.  The  ring  is  not  the  Captain's.  It  be- 
longs to  a  soldier,  who,  before  the  war,  had  been  a  hard 
drinker  and  had  continued  his  habits  after  enlisting.  He 
came  under  the  influence  of  the  Salvation  Army  and  swore 
that  he  would  drink  no  more.  But  time  after  time  he  fell, 
each  time  becoming  more  desperate  and  more  discouraged. 
Each  time  the  young  lassie-Captain  dealt  with  him.  After 
the  last  of  his  failures,  while  she  was  encouraging  him  to 
make  another  try,  he  detached  the  ring  from  the  cord  from 
which  it  had  dangled  around  his  neck  and  thrust  it  at  her. 

"  It  was  my  mother's/'  he  explained.  "  If  you  will  wear 
it  for  me,  I  shall  always  think  of  it  when  the  temptation 
comes  to  drink,  and  the  fact  that  someone  really  cares 
enough  about  my  worthless  hide  to  take  all  of  the  trouble 
you  have  taken  on  my  behalf,  will  help  me  to  resist  it." 


96  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"  No  one  will  misunderstand,"  lie  cried,  seeing  that  the 
lassie  was  about  to  decline,  "  not  even  me.  I  shall  tell  no 
one.  And  it  would  help." 

"Very  well,"  agreed  the  girl,  looking  steadily  at  him 
for  a  moment,  "  but  the  first  time  that  you  take  a  drink, 
off  will  come  the  ring !  And  you  must  promise  that  you 
will  tell  me  if  you  do  take  that  drink." 

The  soldier  promised.  The  lassie  still  wears  the  ring. 
The  soldier  is  still  sober.  Also  he  has  written  to  his  wife 
for  the  first  time  in  five  years  and  she  has  expressed  her 
delight  at  the  good  news. 

On  more  than  one  occasion  American  aviators  have 
flown  from  their  camps  many  miles  to  villages  where  there 
were  Salvation  lassies  and  have  returned  with  a  load  of 
doughnuts.  On  one  occasion  a  bird-man  dropped  a  note 
down  in  front  of  the  hut  where  two  sisters  were  stationed, 
circling  around  at  a  low  elevation  until  certain  that  the 
girls  had  picked  up  the  note,  which  stated  that  he  would 
return  the  following  afternoon  for  a  mess  of  doughnuts  for 
his  comrades.  When  he  returned,  the  doughnuts  were 
ready  for  him. 

The  Adjutant  of  the  aerial  forces  attached  to  the  Ameri- 
can Fifth  Army  around  Montfaucon  on  the  edge  of  the 
Argonne  Forest,  before  that  forest  was  finally  captured  at 
the  point  of  American  bayonets,  drove  almost  seventy  miles 
to  the  Salvation  Army  Headquarters  at  Ligny  for  supplies 
for  his  men.  He  was  given  an  automobile  load  of  chocolate, 
candies,  cakes,  cookies,  soap,  toilet  articles,  and  other  com- 
forts, without  charge.  He  said  that  he  Tcnew  that  the  Sal- 
vation Army  would  have  what  he  wanted. 

The  two  lassies  who  were  in  Bure  had  a  desperate  time 
of  it.  Things  were  most  primitive.  They  had  no  stove, 
just  an  old  travelling  field  range,  and  for  a  canteen  one 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  97 

end  of  Battery  F  's  kitchen.  They  were  then  attached  to 
the  Sixth  Field  Artillery.  This  was  the  regiment  that 
fired  the  first  shot  into  Germany. 

The  smoke  in  that  kitchen  was  awful  and  continuous 
from  the  old  field  range.  The  girls  often  made  doughnuts 
out-of-doors,  and  they  got  chilblains  from  standing  in  the 
snow.  All  the  company  had  chilblains,  too,  and  it  was  a 
sorry  crowd.  Then  the  girls  got  the  mumps.  It  was  so 
cold  here,  especially  at  night,  they  often  had  to  sleep  with 
their  clothes  on.  There  was  only  one  way  they  could  have 
meetings  in  that  place  and  that  was  while  the  men  were 
lined  up  for  chow  near  to  the  canteen.  They  would  start 
to  sing  in  the  gloomy,  cold  room,  the  men  and  girls  all  with 
their  overcoats  on,  and  fingers  so  cold  that  they  could  hardly 
play  the  concertina,  for  there  was  no  fire  in  the  big  room 
save  from  the  range  at  one  end  where  they  cooked.  Then 
the  girls  would  talk  to  them  while  they  were  eating.  Per- 
haps they  did  not  call  these  meetings,  but  they  were  a 
mighty  happy  time  to  the  men,  and  they  liked  it. 

A  minister  who  had  taken  six  months'  leave  of  absence 
from  his  church  to  do  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work  in  France  asked 
one  of  the  boys  why  he  liked  the  Salvation  Army  girls  and 
he  said :  "  Because  they  always  take  time  to  cheef  us  up. 
It's  true  they  do  knock  us  mighty  hard  about  our  sins, 
but  while  it  hurts  they  always  show  us  a  way  out."  The 
minister  told  some  one  that  if  he  had  his  work  to  do  over 
again  he  would  plan  it  along  the  lines  of  the  Salvation 
Army  work. 

You  may  hear  it  urged  that  one  reason  the  boys  liked 

the  Salvation  Army  people  so  much  was  because  they  did 

not  preach,  but  it  is  not  so.     They  preached  early  and 

often,  but  the  boys  liked  it  because  it  was  done  so  simply, 

7 


98  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

eo  consistently  and  so  unselfishly,  that  they  did  not  recog- 
nize it  as  preaching. 

In  Menaucourt  as  Christmas  was  coming  on  some 
United  States  officers  raised  money  to  give  the  little  refugee 
children  a  Christmas  treat.  There  was  to  be  a  tree  with 
presents,  and  good  things  to  eat,  and  an  entertainment 
with  recitations  from  the  children.  The  school-teacher  was 
teaching  the  children  their  pieces,  and  there  was  a  general 
air  of  delightful  excitement  everywhere.  It  was  expected 
that  the  affair  was  to  be  held  in  the  Catholic  church  at  first, 
but  the  priest  protested  that  this  was  unseemly,  so  they 
were  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  The  school-house  was  not  large 
enough. 

The  Salvation  Army  Staff-Captain  found  this  out  and 
suggested  to  the  officers  that  the  Salvation  Army  hut  was 
the  very  place  for  such  a  gathering.  So  the  tree  was  set 
up,  and  the  officers  went  to  town  and  bought  presents  and 
decorations.  They  covered  the  old  hut  with  boughs  and 
flags  and  transformed  it  into  a  wonderland  for  the  chil- 
dren. The  officers  were  struggling  helplessly  with  the 
decorations  of  the  tree  when  the  Salvation  Army  man  hap- 
pened in  and  they  asked  him  to  help. 

"  Why,  sure !  "  he  said  heartily.  "  That's  my  regular 
work ! "  So  they  eagerly  put  it  into  his  hands  and  de- 
parted. The  Staff-Captain  worked  so  hard  at  it  and  grew 
so  interested  in  it  that  he  forgot  to  go  for  his  chow  at  lunch- 
time,  and  when  supper-time  came  the  hall  was  so  crowded 
and  there  was  so  much  still  to  be  done  that  he  could  not  get 
away  to  get  his  supper.  But  it  was  a  grand  and  glorious 
time.  The  place  was  packed.  There  were  two  American 
Colonels,  a  French  Colonel,  and  several  French  officers. 

The  soldiers  crowded  in  and  they  had  to  send  them  out 
again,  poor  fellows,  to  make  room  for  the  children,  but 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  99 

they  hung  around  the  doors  and  windows  eager  to  see  it  all. 

The  regimental  band  played,  there  were  recitations  in 
French  and  a  good  time  generally. 

The  seats  were  facing  the  canteen  where  the  supplies 
were  all  stocked  neatly,  boxes  of  candy  and  cakes  and  good 
things.  The  Colonel  in  charge  of  the  regiment  looked  over 
to  them  wistfully  and  said  to  the  Staff-Captain :  "  Are  you 
going  to  sell  all  those  things?"  The  Staff-Captain,  with 
quick  appreciation,  said:  "No,  Colonel,  Christmas  comes 
but  once  a  year  and  there's  a  present  up  there  for  you." 
And  the  Colonel  seemed  as  pleased  as  the  children  when 
the  Staff-Captain  handed  him  a  big  box  of  candy  all  tied 
up  in  Chrisitmas  ribbons. 

In  the  huts,  phonographs  are  never  silent  as  long  as 
there  is  a  single  soldier  in  the  place.  One  night  two  of  the 
Salvation  Army  girls,  who  slept  in  the  back  room  of  a  cer- 
tain hut,  had  closed  up  for  the  night  and  retired.  They 
were  awakened  by  the  sound  of  the  phonograph,  and  won- 
dered how  anyone  got  into  the  hut  and  who  it  might  hap- 
pen to  be.  They  were  a  little  bit  nervous,  but  went  to  in- 
vestigate. They  found  that  a  soldier  on  guard  had  raised  a 
window,  and  although  this  did  not  allow  him  room  to  enter 
the  hut,  he  was  able  to  reach  the  table  where  the  phono- 
graph stood.  He  had  turned  the  talking  machine  around  so 
that  it  faced  the  window,  and,  placing  a  record  in  position, 
had  started  it  going.  He  was  leaning  up  against  the  outer 
wall  of  the  hut,  smoking  a  cigarette  in  the  moonlight,  and 
enjoying  his  concert.  The  girls  returned  to  bed  without 
disturbing  the  audience. 

One  of  the  most  popular  French  confections  sold  in  the 
huts  was  a  variety  of  biscuits  known  under  the  trade  name 
of  "Boudoir  Biscuits."  One  day  a  soldier  entered  a  hut 
and  said :  "  Say,  miss,  I  want  some  of  them  there — them 


100  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

there — Dang  me  if  I  can  remember  them  French  names ! — 
them  there  (suddenly  a  great  light  dawned) — some  of 
them  there  bedroom  cookies."  And  the  lassie  got  what  he 
wanted. 

The  Salvation  Army  men  who  worked  among  the  sol- 
diers in  advanced  positions  from  which  all  women  are 
barred  are  among  the  heroes  of  the  war.  Here  during  the 
day  they  labored  in  dugouts  far  below  the  shell-tortured 
earth,  often  going  out  at  night  to  help  bring  in  the 
Wounded ;  always  in  danger  from  shells  and  gas ;  some  with 
the  ammunition  trains ;  others  driving  supply  trucks ;  still 
others  attached  to  units  and  accompanying  the  fighting 
men  wherever  they  went,  even  to  the  active  combat  of  the 
firing  trench  and  the  attack.  These  are  unofficial  chap- 
lains. Such  a  one  was  "  La  Petit  Major,"  as  the  soldiers 
called  him,  because  of  his  smallness  of  stature. 

The  Little  Major  commenced  his  service  in  the  field 
with  the  Twenty-sixth  Infantry,  First  Division,  at  Menau- 
court.  Soon  he  was  transferred  to  command  the  hut  at 
Boviolles.  At  this  place  was  the  battalion  of  the  Twenty- 
sixth  Infantry,  commanded  by  Major  Theodore  Roosevelt. 
His  brother,  Captain  Archie  Roosevelt,  commanded  a  com- 
pany in  this  battalion.  He  was  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  alone  in  the  work  at  Boviolles. 

By  his  consistent  life  and  character  and  his  willingness 
to  serve  both  men  and  officers,  he  won  their  esteem. 

When  they  left  the  training  area  for  the  trenches  the 
Major  was  requested  to  go  with  them.  He  turned  the  key 
in  the  canteen  door  and  went  off  with  them  across  France 
and  never  came  back,  establishing  himself  in  the  front-line 
trenches  with  the  men  and  acting  as  unofficial  chaplain  to 
the  battalion. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  101 

There  is  an  interesting  incident  in  connection  with  his 
introduction  to  Major  Eoosevelt's  notice. 

For  some  reason  the  Salvation  Army  had  been  made 
to  feel  that  they  were  not  welcome  with  that  division.  But 
the  Little  Major  did  not  give  up  like  that,  and  he  lingered 
about  feeling  that  somehow  there  was  yet  to  be  a  work  for 
him  there. 

A  young  private  from  a  far  Western  state,  a  fellow  who, 
according  to  all  reports,  had  never  been  of  any  account  at 
home,  was  convicted  of  a  most  horrible  murder  and  con- 
demned to  die  by  hanging  because  the  commanding  officer 
said  that  shooting  was  too  good  for  him. 

He  accepted  his  fate  with  sullen  ugliness.  He  would 
not  speak  to  anyone  and  he  was  so  violent  that  they  had  to 
put  him  in  chains.  No  one  could  do  anything  with  him. 
He  had  to  be  watched  day  and  night ;  and  it  was  awful  to 
see  him  die  this  way  with  his  sin  unconfessed.  Many  at- 
tempts were  made  to  break  through  his  silence,  but  all  to 
no  effect.  Several  chaplains  visited  him,  but  he  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  them. 

On  the  morning  of  his  execution,  to  the  surprise  of 
everybody  he  said  that  he  had  heard  that  there  was  a  Sal- 
vation Army  man  around  and  he  would  like  to  see  him. 
The  authorities  sent  and  searched  everywhere  for  the  Little 
Major,  and  some  thought  he  must  have  left,  but  they  found 
him  at  last  and  he  came  at  once  to  the  desperate  man. 

The  criminal  eat  crouched  on  his  hard  bench,  chained 
hand  and  foot.  He  did  not  look  up.  He  was  a  dreadful 
sight,  his  brutal  face  haggard,  unshaven,  his  eyes  bloodshot, 
his  whole  appearance  almost  like  some  low  animal. 
Through  the  shadowy  prison  darkness  the  Little  Major 
crept  to  those  chains,  those  symbols  of  the  man's  degrada- 
tion ;  and  still  the  man  did  not  look  up. 


102  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"  You  must  be  in  great  trouble,  brother.  Can  I  help 
you  any  ?  "  asked  the  Little  Major  with  a  wonderful  Christ- 
like  compassion  in  his  voice. 

The  man  lifted  his  bleared  eyes  under  the  shock  of  un- 
kempt hair,  and  spoke,  startled : 

"  You  call  me  brother !  You  know  what  I'm  here  for 
and  you  call  me  -brother!  Why?" 

The  Little  Major's  voice  was  steady  and  sweet  as  he 
replied  without  hesitation : 

"Because  I  know  a  great  deal  about  the  suffering  of 
Christ  on  the  Cross,  all  because  He  loved  you  so !  Because 
I  know  He  said  He  was  wounded  for  your  transgressions, 
He  was  bruised  for  your  iniquities!  Because  I  know  He 
•aid,  '  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet  they  shall  be  as  white 
as  enow,  though  they  be  red  like  crimson  they  shall  be  as 
wool ! '  So  why  shouldn't  I  call  you  brother  ?  " 

"Oh,"  said  the  man  with  a  groan  of  agony  and  big 
tears  rolling  down  his  face.  "  Could  I  be  made  a  better 
man?" 

Then  they  went  down  on  their  knees  together  beside 
the  hard  bench,  the  man  in  chains  and  the  man  of  God, 
and  the  Little  Major  prayed  such  a  wonderful  prayer, 
taking  the  poor  soul  right  to  the  foot  of  the  Throne ;  and 
in  a  few  minutes  the  taan  was  confessing  his  sin  to  God. 
Then  he  suddenly  looked  up  and  exclaimed : 

"  It's  true,  what  you  said !  Christ  has  pardoned  me ! 
Now  I  can  die  like  a  man ! " 

With  that  great  pardon  written  across  his  heart  he 
actually  went  to  his  death  with  a  smile  upon  his  face. 
When  the  Chaplain  asked  him  if  he  had  anything  to  say  he 
publicly  thanked  the  military  authorities  and  the  Salvation 
Army  for  what  they  had  done  for  him. 

The  Colonel,  greatly  surprised  at  the  change  in  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  103 

man,  sent  to  find  out  how  it  came  about  and  later  sent  to 
thank  the  Little  Major.  Two  days  later  Major  Koosevelt 
came  in  person  to  thank  him : 

"  I  knew  that  someone  who  knew  how  to  deal  with  men 
had  got  hold  of  him/'  he  said,  "  but  I  almost  doubted  the 
evidence  of  my  own  eyes  when  I  saw  how  cheerfully  he  went 
to  his  death,  it  all  seemed  too  wonderful ! " 

The  little  Major  was  with  this  battalion  in  all  of  its 
engagements,  and  on  several  occasions  went  over  the  top 
with  the  men  and  devoted  himself  to  first  aid  to  the 
wounded  and  to  bringing  the  men  back  to  the  dressing 
station  on  stretchers.  Between  the  times  of  active  engage- 
ments, the  Major  gave  himself  to  supplying  the  needs  of 
the  men  and  made  daily  trips  out  of  the  trenches  to  obtain 
newspapers,  writing  material,  and  to  perform  errands  which 
they  could  not  do  for  themselves. 

One  of  the  lieutenants  said  of  him :  "  He  is  worth  more 
than  all  the  chaplains  that  were  ever  made  in  the  United 
States  Army.  He  will  walk  miles  to  get  the  most  trivial 
article  for  either  man  or  officer.  The  men  know  that  he 
loves  them  or  he  would  not  go  into  the  trenches  with  them, 
for  he  does  not  have  to  go.  You  can  tell  the  world  for  me 
that  he  is  a  real  man !  " 

One  of  the  fellows  said  of  him  he  had  seen  him  take  off 
his  shoes  and  bring  away  pieces  of  flesh  from  the  awful 
blisters  got  from  much  tramping. 

The  men  soon  learned  to  love  their  gray  haired  Salva- 
tion Army  comrade.  When  an  enemy  attack  was  to  be  met 
with  cold  steel  he  was  the  first  to  follow  the  company  offi- 
cers "  over  the  top,"  to  cheer  and  encourage  the  onrushing 
Americans  in  the  anxious  semi-calm  which  follows  the 
lifting  of  a  barrage.  A  non-combatant,  unarmed  and  fifty- 
three  years  of  age,  he  was  always  in  the  van  of  the  fierce 


104  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

onslaught  with  which  our  men  repulsed  the  enemy,  ready 
to  pray  with  the  dying  or  help  bring  in  the  wounded,  and 
always  fearless  no  matter  what  the  conditions.  By  his  un- 
f  earing  heroism  as  well  as  his  willingness  to  share  the  hard- 
ships and  dangers  of  the  men,  he  so  won  their  confidence 
that  it  was  frequently  said  that  they  would  not  go  into 
battle  except  the  Major  was  with  them.  The  men  would 
crouch  around  him  with  an  almost  fantastic  confidence  that 
where  he  was  no  harm  could  come.  Knowing  that  many 
earnest  Christian  people  were  praying  for  his  safety  and 
having  seen  how  safely  he  and  those  with  him  had  come 
through  dangers,  they  thought  his  very  presence  was  a  pro- 
tection. Who  shall  say  that  God  did  not  stay  on  the  battle- 
field living  and  speaking  through  the  Little  Major  ? 

When  the  first  division  was  moved  from  the  Montdidier 
Sector  he  travelled  with  the  men  as  far  as  they  went  by 
train.  When  they  detrained  and  marched  he  marched  with 
them,  carrying  his  seventy  pound  pack  as  any  soldier  did. 
He  was  by  the  side  of  Captain  Archie  Roosevelt  when  he 
received  a  very  dangerous  wound  from  an  exploding  shell, 
and  was  in  the  battle  of  Cantigny  in  the  Montdidier  Sector, 
where  his  company  lost  only  two  men  killed  and  four 
wounded,  while  other  companies'  losses  were  much  more 
severe. 

Protestant,  Catholic  and  Jew  were  all  his  friends.  One 
Catholic  boy  came  crawling  along  in  the  waist-deep  trench 
one  day  to  tell  the  Major  about  his  spiritual  worries.  After 
a  brief  talk  the  Major  asked  him  if  he  had  his  prayer  book. 
The  boy  said  yes.  "Then  take  it  out  and  read  it,"  said 
the  Major.  "God  is  here!"  And  there  in  the  narrow 
trench  with  lowered  heads  so  that  the  sneers  could  not  see 
them,  they  knelt  together  and  read  from  the  Catholic  prayer 
book. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  105 

In  one  American  attack  the  Little  Major  followed  the 
Lieutenant  over  the  top  just  as  the  barrage  was  lifted.  The 
Lieutenant  looking  back  saw  him  struggling  over  the  crest 
of  the  parapet,  laughed  and  shouted:  "Go  back,  Major,  you 
haven't  even  a  pistol ! "  But  the  Major  did  not  go  back. 
He  went  with  the  boys.  "  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  laying 
down  my  life,"  he  once  said,  "  if  it  will  help  or  encourage 
anyone  else  to  live  in  a  better  or  cleaner  way." 

He  was  always  striving  for  the  salvation  of  his  boys, 
and  in  his  meetings  men  would  push  their  way  to  the  front 
and  openly  kneel  before  their  comrades  registering  their 
determination  to  live  in  accordance  with  the  teachings  of 
Jesus.  One  tells  of  seeing  him  kneel  beside  an  empty 
crate  with  three  soldiers  praying  for  their  souls. 

It  was  because  of  all  these  things  that  the  men  believed 
in  him  and  in  his  God.  He  used  to  say  to  the  men  in  the 
meetings,  "  We  are  not  afraid  because  we  have  a  sense  of 
the  presence  of  God  right  here  with  us ! " 

One  night  the  battalion  was  "  in  "  after  a  heavy  day's 
work  strengthening  the  defenses  and  trying  to  drain  the 
trenches,  and  the  men  were  asleep  in  the  dugouts.  The 
Major  lay  in  his  little  chicken-wire  bunk,  just  drowsing 
off,  while  the  water  seeped  and  dripped  from  the  earthen 
roof,  and  the  rats  splashed  about  on  the  water  covered  floor. 

Across  from  him  in  a  bunk  on  the  other  side  of  the 
dugout  tossed  a  boy  in  his  damp  blankets  who  had  just  come 
to  the  front.  He  was  only  eighteen  and  it  was  his  first 
night  in  the  line.  It  had  been  a  hard  day  for  him.  The 
shells  screamed  overhead  and  finally  one  landed  close  some- 
where and  rocked  the  dugout  with  its  explosion. 

The  old-timers  slept  undisturbed,  but  the  boy  started 
up  with  a  scream  and  a  groan,  his  nerves  a-quiver,  and  cried 
out :  "  Oh,  Daddy !  Daddy !  Daddy ! » 


106  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  Little  Major  was  out  and  over  to  him  in  a  flash,  and 
gathered  the  boy  into  his  arms,  soothing  him  as  a  mother 
might  have  done,  until  he  was  calmed  and  strengthened; 
and  there  amid  the  roaring  of  guns,  the  screaming  of  shells, 
the  dripping  of  water  and  splashing  of  rats,  the  youngest  of 
the  battalion  found  Christ. 

An  old  soldier  came  down  from  the  front  and  a  Salva- 
tionist asked  him  if  he  knew  the  Little  Major. 

"  Well,  you  just  bet  I  know  the  Major — sure  thing ! " 
And  the  Major  is  always  on  hand  with  a  laugh  and  his 
fun-making.  In  the  trenches  or  in  the  towns,  where  the 
shells  are  flying,  the  Little  Major  is  with  his  boys.  No 
words  of  mine  could  express  the  admiration  the  boys  have 
for  him.  The  boys  love  him.  He  calls  them  "Buddie." 
They  salute  and  are  ready  to  do  or  die.  The  last  time  I 
saw  him  he  had  hiked  in  from  the  trenches  with  the  boys. 
He  carried  a  heavy  "  war  baby  "  on  his  back  and  a  tin  hat 
on  his  head.  He  was  tired  and  footsore,  but  there  was  that 
laugh,  and  before  he  got  his  pack  off  he  jabbed  me  in  the 
ribs.  "  No,  sir,  we  can't  get  along  without  our  Major !  " 
So  says  "  Buddie." 

A  request  came  from  a  chaplain  to  open  Salvation  Army 
work  near  his  division.  The  Brigade  Commander  was  most 
favorable  to  the  suggestion  until  he  learned  that  the  Sal- 
vation Army  would  have  women  there  and  that  religious 
meetings  would  be  conducted.  As  this  was  explained  the 
General's  manner  changed  and  he  declared  he  did  not  know 
that  the  work  was  to  be  carried  on  in  this  way ;  that  he  did 
not  favor  the  women  in  camps,  or  any  religion,  but  thought 
it  would  make  the  soldier  soft,  and  the  business  of  the 
soldier  was  to  kill,  to  kill  in  as  brutal  a  manner  as  possible ; 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  107 

and  to  kill  as  many  of  the  enemy  as  possible ;  and  he  did  not 
propose  to  have  any  work  conducted  in  the  camps  or  any 
influence  on  his  soldiers  that  would  tend  to  soften  them. 

He  ordered  them,  therefore,  not  to  extend  the  work  of  the 
Salvation  Army  within  his  brigade.  It  was  explained  to 
him  that  Demange  was  now  within  the  territory  named. 
He  appeared  to  be  put  out  that  the  Salvation  Army  was 
already  established  in  his  district,  but  said  that  if  they  be- 
haved themselves  they  could  go  on,  but  that  they  must  not 
extend. 

He  reported  the  matter  to  the  Divisional  Headquarters 
and  an  investigation  of  the  Salvation  Army  activities  was 
ordered.  A  major  who  was  a  Jew  was  appointed  to  look 
into  the  matter.  During  the  next  two  weeks  he  talked  with 
the  men  and  officers  and  attended  Salvation  Army  meet- 
ings. The  leaders,  of  course,  knew  nothing  about  this,  but 
they  could  not  have  planned  their  meetings  better  if  they 
had  known.  It  seemed  as  though  God  was  in  it  all.  At  the 
end  of  two  weeks  there  came  a  written  communication  from 
the  General  stating  that  after  a  thorough  examination  of 
the  Salvation  Army  work  he  withdrew  his  objections  and 
the  Salvation  Army  was  free  to  extend  operations  anywhere 
within  his  brigade. 

The  Salvation  Army  hut  was  a  scene  of  constant  activity. 

At  one  place  in  a  single  day  there  was  early  mass,  said 
by  the  Catholic  chaplain,  later  preaching  by  a  Protestant 
chaplain,  then  a  Jewish  service,  followed  by  a  company 
meeting  where  the  use  of  gas  masks  was  explained.  All 
this,  besides  the  regular  uses  of  the  hut,  which  included  a 
library,  piano,  phonograph,  games,  magazines,  pies,  dough- 
nuts and  coffee;  the  pie  line  being  followed  by  a  regular 
Salvation  Army  meeting  where  men  raised  their  hands  to 
be  prayed  for,  and  many  found  Christ  as  their  Saviour. 


108  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

It  was  in  an  old  French,  barracks  that  they  located  the 
Salvation  Army  canteen  in  Treveray.  One  corner  was 
boarded  off  for  a  bedroom  for  the  girls.  There  were  windows 
but  not  of  glass,  for  they  would  have  soon  been  shattered, 
and,  too,  they  would  have  let  too  much  light  through.  They 
were  canvas  well  camouflaged  with  paint  so  that  the  enemy 
shells  would  not  be  attracted  at  night,  and,  of  course,  one 
could  not  see  through  them. 

Inside  the  improvised  bedroom  were  three  little  folding 
army  cots,  a  board  table,  a  barrack  bag  and  some  boxes. 
This  was  the  only  place  where  the  girls  could  be  by  them- 
selves. On  rainy  days  the  furniture  was  supplemented  by 
a  dishpan  on  one  cot,  a  frying-pan  on  another,  and  a  lard 
tin  on  the  third,  to  catch  the  drops  from  the  holes  in  the 
roof.  The  opposite  corner  of  the  barracks  was  boarded  off 
for  a  living-room.  In  this  was  a  field  range  and  one  or  two 
tables  and  benches. 

The  rest  of  the  hut  was  laid  out  with  square  bare  board 
tablet*.  The  canteen  was  at  one  end.  The  piano  was  at  one 
side  and  the  graphophone  at  the  other.  Sometimes  in 
places  like  this,  the  hut  would  be  too  near  the  front  for  it  to 
be  thought  advisable  to  have  a  piano.  It  was  too  liable  to 
be  shattered  by  a  chance  shell  and  the  management  thought 
it  unwise  to  put  so  much  money  into  what  might  in  a 
moment  be  reduced  to  worthless  splinters.  Then  the  boys 
would  come  into  the  hut,  look  around  disappointedly  and 
say :  "  No  piano  ?  " 

The  cheerful  woman  behind  the  counter  would  say  sym- 
pathetically :  "  No,  boys,  no  piano.  Too  many  shells  around 
here  for  a  piano." 

The  boys  would  droop  around  silently  for  a  minute  or 
two  and  then  go  off.  In  a  little  while  back  they  would  come 
with  grim  satisfaction  on  their  faces  bearing  a  piano. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  109 

"  Don't  ask  us  where  we  got  it,"  they  would  answer  with 
a  twinkle  in  reply  to  the  pleased  inquiry.  "  This  is  war ! 
We  salvaged  it ! " 

Around  the  room  on  the  tables  were  plenty  of  magazines, 
books  and  games.  Checkers  was  a  favorite  game.  No  card 
playing,  no  shooting  crap.  The  canteen  contained  choco- 
late, candy,  writing  materials,  postage  stamps,  towels, 
shaving  materials,  talcum  powder,  soap,  shoestrings,  hand- 
kerchiefs in  little  sealed  packets,  buttons,  cootie  medicine 
and  other  like  articles.  The  Salvation  Army  did  not  sell 
nor  give  away  either  tobacco  or  cigarettes.  In  a  few  cases 
where  such  were  sent  to  them  for  distribution  they  were 
handed  over  to  the  doctors  for  the  badly  wounded  in  the 
hospitals  or  the  very  sick  men  accustomed  to  their  use, 
who  were  almost  insane  with  their  nerves.  They  also 
procured  them  from  the  Ited  Cross  for  wounded  men,  some- 
times, who  were  fretting  for  them,  but  they  never  were  a 
part  of  their  supplies  and  far  from  the  policy  of  the 
Salvation  Army.  Furthermore,  the  Salvation  Army  sent 
no  men  to  France  to  work  for  them  who  smoked  or  used 
tobacco  in  any  form,  or  drank  intoxicating  liquors.  No 
man  can  hold  a  commission  in  the  Salvation  Army  and 
use  tobacco !  It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  boys  them- 
selves did  not  want  the  Salvation  Army  lassies  to  deal  in 
cigarettes  because  they  knew  it  would  be  going  against  their 
principles  to  do  so. 

Occasionally  a  stranger  would  come  into  the  canteen 
and  ask  for  a  package  of  cigarettes.  Then  some  soldier 
would  remark  witheringly :  "  Say,  where  do  you  come  from  ? 
Don't  you  know  the  Salvation  Army  don't  handle  tobacco  ?  " 

The  men  were  always  deeply  grateful  to  get  talcum 
powder  for  use  after  shaving.  It  seemed  somehow  to  help 


110  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

to  keep  up  the  morale  of  the  army,  that  talcum  powder,  a 
little  bit  of  the  soothing  refinement  of  the  home  that  seemed 
so  far  away. 

To  this  hut  whenever  they  were  at  liberty  came  Jew 
and  Gentile,  Protestant  and  Catholic,  rich  and  poor.  War 
is  a  great  leveler  and  had  swept  away  all  differences.  They 
were  a  great  brotherhood  of  Americans  now,  ready,  if  neces- 
sary, to  die  for  the  right. 

To  one  of  the  huts  came  a  request  from  the  chaplain  of 
a  regiment  which  was  about  to  move  from  its  temporary  bil- 
let in  the  next  village.  The  men  had  not  been  so  fortunate 
as  to  be  stationed  at  a  town  where  there  was  a  Salvation 
Army  hut  and  it  had  been  over  four  months  since  they  had 
tasted  anything  like  cake  or  pie.  Would  the  Salvation 
Army  lassies  be  so  good  as  to  let  them  have  a  few  dough- 
nuts before  they  moved  that  night?  If  so  the  chaplain 
would  call  for  them  at  five  o'clock. 

The  lassies  worked  with  all  their  might  and  fried 
thirty-five  hundred  doughnuts.  But  something  happened 
to  the  ambulance  that  was  to  take  them  to  the  boys,  and 
over  an  hour  was  lost  in  repairs.  Back  at  the  camp  the 
boys  had  given  up  all  hope.  They  were  to  march  at  eight 
o'clock  and  nothing  had  been  heard  of  the  doughnuts. 
Suddenly  the  truck  dashed  into  view,  but  the  boys  eyed  it 
glumly,  thinking  it  was  likely  empty  after  all  this  time. 
However,  the  chaplain  held  up  both  hands  full  of  golden 
brown  beauties,  and  with  a  wild  shout  of  joy  the  men 
sprang  to  "  attention  "  as  the  ambulance  drew  up,  and  more 
soldiers  crowded  around.  The  villagers  rushed  to  their 
doors  to  see  what  could  be  happening  now  to  those  crazy 
American  soldiers. 

When  the  chaplain  stood  up  in  the  car  flinging  dough- 
nuts to  them  and  shouting  that  there  were  thousands, 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  111 

enough  for  everybody,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  soldiers  knew 
no  bounds.  The  girls  had  come  along  and  now  they  began 
to  hand  out  the  doughnuts,  and  the  crowd  cheered  and 
shouted  as  they  filed  up  to  receive  them.  And  when  it  came 
time  for  the  girls  to  return  to  their  own  village  the  soldiers 
crowded  up  once  more  to  say  good-bye,  and  give  them  three 
cheers  and  a  "  tiger." 

These  same  girls  a  few  days  before  had  fed  seven  hun- 
dred weary  doughboys  on  their  march  to  the  front  with 
coffee,  hot  biscuits  and  jam. 

In  one  of  the  Salvation  Army  huts  one  night  the  usual 
noisy  cheerfulness  was  in  the  air,  but  apart  from  the  rest  sat 
a  boy  with  a  letter  open  on  the  table  before  him  and  a 
dreamy  smile  of  tender  memories  upon  his  face.  Nobody 
noticed  that  far-away  look  in  his  eyes  until  the  lassie  in 
charge  of  the  hut,  standing  in  the  doorway  surveying  her 
noisy  family,  searched  him  out  with  her  discerning  eyes,  and 
presently  happened  down  his  way  and  inquired  if  he  had  a 
letter.  The  boy  looked  up  with  a  wonderful  smile  such  as 
she  had  never  seen  on  his  face  before,  and  answered : 

"  Yes,  it's  from  mother ! "  Then  impulsively,  "  She's 
the  nearest  thing  to  God  I  know ! " 

Mother  seemed  to  be  the  nearest  thought  to  the  heart 
of  the  boys  over  there.  They  loved  the  songs  best  that  spoke 
about  mother.  One  boy  bought  a  can  of  beans  at  the 
canteen,  and  when  remonstrated  with  by  the  lassie  who  sold 
them,  on  the  ground  that  he  was  always  complaining  of 
having  to  eat  so  many  beans,  he  replied :  "  Aw,  well,  this  is 
different.  These  'beans  are  the  kind  that  mother  used 
to  buy." 

In  the  dark  hours  of  the  early  morning  a  boy  who  be- 
longed to  the  ammunition  train  sat  by  one  of  the  little 


112  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

wooden  tables  in  the  hut,  just  after  he  had  returned  from 
his  first  barrage,  and  pencilled  on  its  top  the  following 
words: 

Mother  o'  mine,  what  the  words  mean  to  me 

Is  more  than  tongue  can  say; 
For  one  view  to-night  of  your  loving  face, 

What  a  price  I  would  gladly  pay! 
The  wonderful  face    .    .    . 
.    .    .   smiling  still  despite  loads  of  care, 

Tis  crowned  by  a  silvering  sheen. 
Your  picture  I  carry  next  to  my  heart; 

With  it  no  harm  can  befall. 
It  has  helped  me  to  smile  through  many  s  care, 

Since  I  heeded  my  country's  call. 
O  mother  who  nursed  me  as  a  babe 

And  prayed  for  me  as  a  boy, 
Can  I  not  show,  now  at  man's  estate, 

That  you  are  my  pride  and  joy? 
Good  night !  God  guard  you,  way  over  the  ocean  blue, 
Your  boy  loves  you  and  his  dreams  are  bright, 

For  he's  dreaming  of  home  and  you. 

One  of  the  letters  that  was  written  home  for  "  Mother's 
Day  "  in  response  to  a  suggestion  on  the  walls  of  the  Salva- 
tion Army  hut  was  as  follows : 

Dearest  Little  Mother  of  Mine: 

They  started  a  campaign  to  write  to  mother  on  this  day, 
and,  believe  me,  I  didn't  have  to  be  urged  very  hard.  If  I  wrote 
you  every  time  I  think  of  you  this  war  would  go  hang  as  far  as 
I  am  concerned,  for  I  think  of  you  always  and  there  are  hundreds 
of  things  that  serve  as  an  eternal  reminder. 

Near  our  billet  is  one  lone,  scrubby  little  lilac  bush  that  has 
a  dozen  blossoms,  and  it  doesn't  take  much  mental  work  to  con- 
nect lilacs  with  mother.  Then,  too,  the  distant  whistle  of  a  train 
'way  down  the  valley  reminds  me  of  how  you  would  listen  for 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  113 

the  whistle  of  the  Montreal  train  on  Saturday  morning  and  then 
fix  up  a  big  feed  for  your  boy  to  offset  a  week  of  boarding-houae 
grub.  Those  and  many  other  things  remind  me  many  times  a 
day  of  the  one  who  bid  me  good-by  with  a  smile  and  saved  her 
tears  'till  she  was  home  alone;  who  knit  helmets,  wristlets  and 
sweaters  to  keep  out  the  cold  when  she  should  have  been  sleeping ; 
who  (I'll  bet  a  hat)  didn't  sleep  one  of  the  thirteen  nights  I  wa3 
on  the  ocean,  and  who  writes  me  cheerful,  newsy  letters  when  all 
others  fail. 

And  I  appreciate  all  those  things  too,  although  I'm  not  much 
on  showing  affection.  I  haven't  always  been  as  good  to  you  as  I 
ought,  but  I'm  going  to  make  up  by  being  the  soldier  and  the  man 
"  me  mudder  "  thinks  I  am. 

And  when  I  come  back  home,  all  full  of  prunes  and  glory,  we're 
going  to  have  the  grandest  time  you  ever  dreamed  of.  We'll  go 
joy  riding,  eat  strawberry  shortcake  and  pumpkin  pie,  and  have 
all  the  lilacs  in  the  U.  S.  A.  Wait  till  I  walk  down  Main  Street 
with  you  on  my  arm  all  fixed  up  in  a  swell  dress  and  a  new 
bonnet  and  me  with  a  span  new  uniform,  with  sergeant-major's 
chevrons,  about  steen  service  stripes,  a  Mex.  campaign  badge  and 
a  Croix  de  Guerre  (maybe),  then  you'll  be  glad  your  boy  went 
to  be  a  soldier. 

I  was  on  the  road  all  of  night  before  last  and  on  guard  last 
night  and  I'm  a  wee  bit  tired  so  I'm  making  this  kinder  short; 
but  it's  a  little  reminder  that  the  boy  who  is  5,000  miles  away  is 
thinking,  "  I  love  you  my  ma,"  same  as  I  always  did. 

And,  by  gosh,  don't  forget  about  that  pumpkin  pie! 

Good-night,  mother  of  mine;  your  soldier  boy  loves  you  a 
whole  dollar's  worth. 

The  Salvation  Army  hut  was  home  to  the  boys  over 
there.  They  came  to  it  in  sorrow  or  joy.  They  came  to  ask 
to  scrape  out  the  bowl  where  the  cake  batter  had  been  stirred 
because  mother  used  to  let  them  do  it;  they  came  to  get 
their  coats  mended  and  have  their  buttons  sewed  on.  Some- 
times it  seemed  to  the  long-suffering,  smiling  woman  who 
sewed  them  on,  as  if  they  just  ripped  them  off  so  she  could 
8 


114  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

sew  them  on  again ;  if  so,  she  did  not  mind.  They  came  to 
mourn  when  they  received  no  word  from  home;  and  when 
the  mail  came  in  and  they  were  fortunate  they  came  first 
to  the  hut  waving  their  letter  to  tell  of  their  good  luck 
before  they  even  opened  it  to  read  it.  It  is  remarkable 
how  they  pinned  their  whole  life  on  what  these  consecrated 
American  women  said  to  them  over  there.  It  is  wonderful 
how  they  opened  their  hearts  to  them  on  religious  subjects, 
and  how  they  flocked  to  the  religious  meetings,  seeming  to 
really  be  hungry  for  them. 

Word  about  these  wonderful  meetings  that  the  soldiers 
were  attending  in  such  numbers  got  to  the  ears  of  another 
commanding  officer,  and  one  day  there  came  a  summons  for 
the  Salvation  Army  Major  in  charge  at  Gondrecourt  to 
appear  before  him.  An  officer  on  a  motor  cycle  with  a  side 
car  brought  the  summons,  and  the  Major  felt  that  it  prac- 
tically amounted  to  an  arrest.  There  was  nothing  to  do 
but  obey,  so  he  climbed  into  the  side  car  and  was  whirled 
away  to  Headquarters. 

The  Major-General  received  him  at  once  and  in  brusque 
tones  informed  him  most  emphatically: 

"We  want  you  to  get  out!  We  don't  want  you  nor 
your  meetings !  We  are  here  to  teach  men  to  fight  and  your 
religion  says  you  must  not  kill.  Look  out  there !  "  point- 
ing through  the  doorway,  "we  have  set  up  dummies  and 
teach  our  men  to  run  their  bayonets  through  them.  You 
teach  them  the  opposite  of  that.  You  will  unfit  my  men 
for  warfare ! " 

The  Salvationist  looked  through  the  door  at  the  line  of 
straw  dummies  hanging  in  a  row,  and  then  he  looked  back 
and  faced  the  Major-General  for  a  full  minute  before  he 
said  anything. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  115 

Tall  and  strong,  with  soldierly  bearing,  with  ruddy 
health  in  the  glow  of  his  cheeks,  and  fire  in  his  keen  blue 
eyes,  the  Salvationist  looked  steadily  at  the  Major-General 
and  his  indignation  grew.  Then  the  good  old  Scotch  burr 
on  his  tongue  rolled  broadly  out  in  protest : 

"  On  my  way  up  here  in  your  automobile " — every 
word  was  slow  and  calm  and  deliberate,  tinged  with  a  fine 
righteous  sarcasm — "  I  saw  three  men  entering  your  Guard 
House  who  were  not  capable  of  directing  their  own  steps. 
They  had  been  off  on  leave  down  to  the  town  and  had  come 
home  drunk.  They  were  going  into  the  Guard  House  to 
sleep  it  off.  When  they  come  out  to-morrow  or  the  next 
day  with  their  limbs  trembling,  and  their  eyes  bloodshot 
and  their  heads  aching,  do  you  think  they  will  be  fit  for 
warfare  ? 

"  You  have  men  down  there  in  your  Guard  House  who 
are  loathsome  with  vile  diseases,  who  are  shaken  with  self- 
indulgence,  and  weakened  with  all  kinds  of  excesses.  Are 
they  fit  for  warfare  ? 

"  Now,  look  at  me !  " 

He  drew  himself  up  in  all  the  strength  of  his  six  feet, 
broad  shoulders,  expanded  chest,  complexion  like  a  baby, 
muscles  like  iron,  and  compelled  the  gaze  of  the  officer. 

"  Can  you  find  any  man — "  The  Salvationist  said 
"  mon  "  and  the  soft  Scotch  sound  of  it  sent  a  thrill  down 
the  Major-General's  back  in  spite  of  his  opposition.  "  Can 
you  find  any  mon  at  fifty-five  years  who  can  follow  these 
in  your  regiment,  who  can  beat  me  at  any  game  whatever  ?  " 

The  officer  looked,  and  listened,  and  was  ashamed. 

The  Major  rose  in  his  righteous  wrath  and  spoke  mighty 
truths  clothed  in  simple  words,  and  as  he  talked  the  tears 
unbidden  rolled  down  the  Major-General's  face  and  dropped 
upon  his  table. 


116  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"And  do  you  know/'  said  the  Salvationist,  afterward 
telling  a  friend  in  earnest  confidence,  "  do  you  know,  before 
I  left  we  had  prayer  together!  And  he  became  one  of  the 
best  friends  we  have !  " 

Before  he  left,  also,  the  Major-General  signed  the 
authority  which  gave  him  charge  of  the  Guard  Houses,  so 
that  he  might  talk  to  the  men  or  hold  meetings  with  them 
whenever  he  liked.  This  was  the  means  of  opening  up  a 
new  avenue  of  work  among  the  men. 

The  Scotch  Major  had  a  string  of  hospitals  that  he 
visited  in  addition  to  his  other  regular  duties.  He  knew  that 
the  men  who  are  gassed  lose  all  their  possessions  when  their 
clothes  are  ripped  off  from  them.  So  this  Salvationist 
made  a  delightful  all-the-year-round  Santa  Glaus  out  of 
himself :  dressing  up  in  old  clothes,  because  of  the  mud  and 
dirt  through  which  he  must  pass,  he  would  sling  a  pack  on 
his  back  that  would  put  to  shame  the  one  Old  Santa  used 
to  carry.  Shaving  things  and  soap  and  toothbrushes,  hand- 
kerchiefs and  chocolate  and  writing  materials.  How  they 
welcomed  him  wherever  he  came !  Sick  men,  Protestants, 
Jews,  Catholics.  He  talked  and  prayed  with  them  all,  and 
no  one  turned  away  from  his  kindly  messages. 

Six  miles  from  Neufchauteul  is  Bazoilles,  a  mighty  city 
of  hospital  tents  and  buildings,  acres  and  acres  of  them, 
lying  in  the  valley.  Whenever  this  man  heard  the  rumbling 
of  guns  and  knew  that  something  was  doing,  he  took  his 
pack  and  started  down  to  go  the  rounds,  for  there  were 
always  men  there  needing  him. 

Then  he  would  hold  meetings  in  the  wards,  blessed 
meetings  that  the  wounded  men  enjoyed  and  begged  for. 

They  all  joined  in  the  singing,  even  those  who  could  not 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  117 

sing  very  well.  And  once  it  was  a  blind  boy  who  asked  them 
to  sing  "  Lead  Kindly  Light  Amid  the  Encircling  Gloom, 
Lead  Thou  Me  On." 

One  Sunday  afternoon  two  Salvation  Army  lassies  had 
come  with  their  Major  to  hold  their  usual  service  in  the 
hospital,  but  there  were  so  many  wounded  coming  in  and 
the  place  was  so  busy  that  it  seemed  as  if  perhaps  they 
ought  to  give  up  the  service.  The  nurses  were  heavy-eyed 
with  fatigue  and  the  doctors  were  almost  worked  to  death. 
But  when  this  was  suggested  with  one  accord  both  doctors 
and  nurses  were  against  it.  "  The  boys  would  miss  it  so," 
they  said,  "  and  we  would  miss  it,  too.  It  rests  us  to  hear 
you  sing." 

After  the  Bible  reading  and  prayer  a  lassie  sang : "  There 
Is  Sunshine  in  My  Heart  To-day,"  and  then  came  a  talk  that 
spoke  of  a  spiritual  sunshine  that  would  last  all  the  year. 

The  song  and  talk  drifted  out  to  another  little  ward 
where  a  doctor  sat  beside  a  boy,  and  both  listened.  As  the 
physician  rose  to  go  the  wounded  boy  asked  if  he  might 
write  a  letter. 

The  next  day  the  doctor  happened  to  meet  the  lassie 
who  sang  and  told  her  he  had  a  letter  that  had  been  handed 
to  him  for  censorship  that  he  thought  she  would  like  to 
see.  He  said  the  writer  had  asked  him  to  show  it  to  her. 
This  was  the  letter : 

Dear  Mother:  You  will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  I  am  in 
the  hospital,  but  I  am  getting  well  quickly  and  am  having  a  good 
time.  But  best  of  all,  some  Salvation  Army  people  came  and  sang 
and  talked  about  sunshine,  and  while  they  were  talking  the  sun- 
shine came  in  through  my  window — not  into  my  room,  alone,  but 
into  my  heart  and  life  as  well,  where  it  is  going  to  stay.  I  know 
how  happy  this  will  make  you. 


118  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  hospital  work  was  a  large  feature  of  the  service 
performed  by  the  Salvation  Army.  In  every  area  this 
testimony  comes  from  both  doctors,  nurses  and  wounded 
men.  Yet  it  was  nothing  less  than  a  pleasure  for  the 
workers  to  serve  those  patient,  cheerful  sufferers. 

A  lassie  entered  a  ward  one  day  and  found  the  men  with 
combs  and  tissue  paper  performing  an  orchestra  selection. 
They  apologized  for  the  noise,  declaring  that  they  were  all 
crazy  about  music  and  that  was  the  only  way  they  could 
get  it. 

"  How  would  you  like  a  phonograph  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Oh,  Boy!  If  we  only  had  one !  I'll  tell  the  world 
•we'd  like  it,"  one  declared  wistfully. 

The  phonograph  was  soon  forthcoming  and  brought 
much  pleasure. 

A  lassie  offered  to  write  a  letter  for  a  boy  whose  foot 
had  just  been  amputated  and  whose  right  arm  was  bound 
in  splints.  He  accepted  her  offer  eagerly,  but  said : 

"  But  when  you  write  promise  me  you  won't  tell  mother 
about  my  foot.  She  worries!  She  wouldn't  understand 
how  well  off  I  really  am.  Maybe  you  had  better  let  me  try 
to  write  a  bit  myself  for  you  to  enclose.  I  guess  I  could 
manage  that.  So,  with  his  left  hand,  he  wrote  the  following : 

Dearest  Mother: — I  am  laid  up  in  the  hospital  here  with  a 
very  badly  sprained  ankle  and  some  bruises,  and  will  be  here  two 
or  three  weeks.  Do  not  worry,  I  am  getting  along  fine.  Your 
loving  Son. 

Two  automobiles,  <an  open  car  and  a  limousine,  were 
maintained  in  Paris  for  the  sole  purpose  of  providing  out- 
ings for  wounded  men  who  were  able  to  take  a  little  drive. 
It  was  said  by  the  doctors  and  nurses  that  nothing  helped 
a  rapid  recovery  like  these  little  excursions  out  into  an 
every-day  beautiful  world. 


THE  SALVATION  AKMY  119 

A  boy  on  onel  of  the  hospital  cots  called  to  a  passing 
lassie : 

"  I  am  going  to  die,  I  know  I  am,  and  I'm  a  Catholic. 
Can  you  pray  for  me,  Salvation  Army  girl,  like  you  prayed 
for  that  fellow  over  there?" 

The  young  lassie  assured  him  that  he  was  not  going 
to  die  yet,  but  she  knelt  by  his  cot  and  prayed  for  him, 
and  soothed  him  into  a  sleep  from  which  he  awoke  refreshed 
to  find  that  she  was  right,  he  was  not  going  to  die  yet, 
but  live,  perhaps,  to  be  a  different  lad. 

A  sixteen-year-old  boy  who  at  the  first  declaration  of 
war  had  run  away  from  home  and  enlisted  was  wounded 
so  badly  that  he  was  ordered  to  go  back  to  the  evacuation 
hospital.  He  was  determined  that  he  could  yet  fight,  and 
was  almost  crying  because  he  had  to  leave  his  comrades, 
but  on  the  way  back  he  discovered  the  entrance  to  a  Ger- 
man dugout  and  thought  he  heard  someone  down  in  there 
moving. 

"Come  out,"  he  shouted,  "or  I'll  throw  in  a  hand 
grenade ! " 

A  few  minutes  later  he  reached  the  evacuation  hospital 
with  thirty  prisoners  of  war,  his  useless  arm  hanging  by 
his  side.  That  is  the  kind  of  stuff  our  American  boys  are 
made  of,  and  those  are  the  boys  who  are  praising  the 
Salvation  Army! 

It  was  sunset  at  the  Gondrecourt  Officers'  Training 
Camp.  On  the  big  parade  ground  in  back  of  the  Salvation 
Army  huts  three  companies  were  lined  up  for  "  Colors." 
The  sun  was  sinking  into  a  black  mass  of  storm  clouds, 
painting  the  "Western  sky  a  dull  blood  red  with  here  and 
there  a  thread  of  gleaming  gold  etched  on  the  rim  of  a  cloud. 
Three  French  children  trudged  sturdily,  wearily,  back  from 
the  distant  fields  where  they  had  toiled  all  day.  The 


120  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

elder  girl  pushed  a  wheelbarrow  heavily  laden  with  plunder 
from  the  fields.  All  bore  farming  implements,  the  size  of 
which  dwarfed  them  by  comparison.  They  had  almost 
reached  the  end  of  the  drill  ground  when  the  military  band 
blared  out  the  opening  notes  of  the  "  Star  Spangled  Ban- 
ner/' and  the  flag  slipped  slowly  from  its  high  staff.  In- 
stantly the  farming  tools  were  dropped  and  the  three  child- 
ish figures  swung  swiftly  to  "attention/'  hands  raised 
rigidly  to  the  stiff  French  salute.  So  they  stood  until  the 
last  note  had  died.  Then  on  they  tramped,  their  backs  all 
bent  and  weary,  over  the  hill  and  down  into  the  grey, 
evening-shadowed  village  of  the  valley. 

In  a  shell-marred  little  village  at  the  American  front, 
the  Salvation  Army  once  brought  the  United  States  Army 
to  a  standstill.  Several  hundred  artillerymen  had  gath- 
ered for  the  regular  Wednesday  night  religious  service,  held 
in  the  hutment,  conducted  by  that  organization  at  this 
point,  and,  in  closing,  sang  vigorously  three  verses  of  "  The 
Star  Spangled  Banner."  A  Major  who  was  passing  came 
immediately  to  attention,  his  example  being  followed  by  all 
of  the  men  and  officers  within  hearing,  and  also  by  a  scat- 
tering of  French  soldiers  who  were  just  emerging  from  the 
Catholic  church.  By  the  time  the  second  verse  was  well 
under  way  three  companies  of  infantry,  marching  from  a 
rest  camp  toward  the  front,  had  also  come  to  a  rigid  salute, 
blocking;  the  road  to  a  quartermaster's  supply  train,  who 
had,  perforce,  to  follow  suit.  The  "  Star  Spangled  Banner  " 
has  a  deeper  meaning  to  the  man  who  has  done  a  few  turns 
in  the  trenches. 

They  had  a  pie-baking  contest  in  Gondrecourt  one  day, 
where  the  renowned  "Aunt  Mary"  was  located,  with  her 
sweet  face  and  sweeter  heart. 

One  of  the  other  huts  had  baked  two  hundred  and 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  121 

thirty-five  pies  in  a  day.  The  people  in  Gondrecourt  be- 
lieved they  could  do  better  than  that,  so  they  made  their 
preparations  and  set  to  work. 

The  soldiers  were  all  interested,  of  course.  Who  was 
to  eat  those  pies  ?  The  more  pies  the  merrier !  The  engi- 
neers had  constructed  a  rack  to  hold  them,  so  that  they 
might  be  easily  counted  without  confusion.  The  soldiers 
had  appointed  a  committee  to  do  the  counting  with  a 
representative  from  the  cooks  to  be  sure  that  everything 
went  right.  Even  the  officers  and  chaplain  took  an  interest 
in  it. 

This  hut  was  in  one  of  the  largest  American  sectors.  It 
was  so  well  patronized  that  they  used  on  an  average  fifty 
gallons  of  coffee  every  evening  and  seventy-five  or  more 
gallons  of  lemonade  every  afternoon.  You  can  imagine 
the  pies  'and  doughnuts  that  would  find  a  welcome  here. 
One  day  they  made  twenty-seven  hundred  sugar  cookies, 
and  another  day  they  fried  eighteen  hundred  and  thirty- 
six  doughnuts,  at  the  satoie  time  baking  cake  and  pies;  but 
this  time  they  were  going  to  try  to  bake  three  hundred 
pies  between  the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun. 

An  army  field  oven  only  holds  nine  pies  at  a  time,  so 
every  minute  of  the  day  had  to  be  utilized.  The  fires  were 
started  very  early  in  the  morning  and  everything  was 
ready  for  the  girls  to  begin  when  the  sun  peeped  over  the 
edge  of  the  great  battlefield.  They  sprang  at  their  task  as 
though  it  were  a  delightful  game  of  tennis,  and  not  as 
though  they  had  worked  hard  and  late  on  the  day  before, 
and  the  many  days  before  that. 

It  was  very  hot  in  the  little  kitchen  as  the  sun  waxed 
high.  An  army  range  never  tries  to  conserve  its  heat 


122  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

for  the  benefit  of  the  cooks.  In  fact  that  kitchen  was  often 
used  for  a  Turkish  bath  by  some  poor  wet  soldiers  who  were 
chilled  to  the  bone. 

But  the  heat  did  not  delay  the  workers.  They  flew  at 
their  task  with  fingers  that  seemed  to  have  somehow  bor- 
rowed an  extra  nimbleness.  All  day  long  they  worked,  and 
the  pies  were  marshalled  out  of  the  oven  by  nines,  flaky 
and  fragrant  and  baked  just  right.  The  rack  grew  fuller 
and  fuller,  and  the  soldiers  watched  with  eager  eyes  and 
watering  mouths.  Now  and  then  one  of  the  soldiers'  cooks 
would  put  his  head  in  at  the  door,  ask  how  the  score  stood, 
and  shake  his  head  in  wonder.  On  and  on  they  worked, 
mixing,  rolling,  filling,  putting  the  little  twists  and  cuts 
on  the  upper  crust,  and  slipping  in  the  oven  and  out  again ! 
Mixing,  rolling,  filling  and  baking  without  any  let-up,  until 
the  sun  with  a  twinkle  of  glowing  appreciation  slipped  re- 
gretfully down  behind  the  hills  of  France  again  as  if  he 
were  sorry  to  leave  the  fun,  and  the  time  was  up.  The  com- 
mittee gave  a  last  careful  glance  over  the  filled  racks  and 
announced  the  final  score,  three  hundred  and  sixteen  pies, 
in  shining,  delectable  rows ! 

By  seven  o'clock  that  evening  the  pie  line  was  several 
hundred  yards  long.  It  wag  eleven  o'clock  when  the  last 
quarter  of  a  pie  went  over  the  counter,  with  its  accompany- 
ing mug  of  coffee.  Think  what  it  was  just  to  have  to  cut 
and  serve  that  pie,  and  make  that  coffee,  after  a  long  day's 
work  of  baking! 

One  of  the  officers  receiving  his  change  after  having 
paid  for  his  pie  looked  at  it  surprisedly : 

"  And  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you  girls  work  so  hard 
for  such  a  small  return  ?  I  don't  see  where  you  make  any 
profit  at  all." 

"We  don't  work  for  profit,  Captain,"  answered  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  123 

lassie.    "  I  don't  think  any  amount  of  money  would  per- 
suade us  to  keep  going  as  we  have  to  here  at  times." 

"You  mean  you  sort  of  work  for  the  joy  of  working? " 
he  asked,  puzzled. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,"  responded  the  lassie 
pleasantly,  "  but  when  we  are  tired  we  look  at  the  boys 
drilling  in  the  sun  and  working  early  and  late.  They  are 
splendid  and  we  feel  we  must  do  our  part  as  unreservedly 
as  they  do  theirs." 

"  No  wonder  my  men  have  so  many  good  things  to  say 
about  the  Salvation  Army ! "  said  the  Captain,  turning  to 
his  companions.  But  as  he  went  out  into  the  night  his 
voice  floated  back  in  a  puzzled  sort  of  half-conviction,  as 
if  he  were  thinking  out  something  more  than  had  been 
spoken : 

"  It  takes  more  than  patriotism  to  keep  refined  women 
working  like  that !" 

These  same  girls  were  commissioned  also  to  make  fre- 
quent visits  to  the  hospitals  and  talk  with  the  sick  soldiers. 
Often  they  read  the  Bible  to  them,  and  many  a  man  through 
these  little  talks  has  found  the  way  of  eternal  life.  This  in 
addition  to  their  other  work. 

One  night  after  a  meeting  in  the  hut  a  lad  wanted  to 
come  into  the  room  at  the  back  and  speak  to  one  of  the 
women  about  his  soul.  They  knelt  and  prayed  together, 
and  the  boy  when  he  rose  had  a  light  of  real  happiness  on 
his  face.  But  suddenly  the  happiness  faded  and  he 
exclaimed : 

"But  I  can't  read!" 

"  Eead  ?    What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  the  lassie. 
"  My  Bible.    Nobody  never  learned  me  to  read,  and  I 
can't  read  my  Bible  like  you  said  in  the  meeting  I  should." 
The  lassie  thought  for  a  minute,  and  then  suggested 


124  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

that  he  come  to  the  hut  every  morning  just  before  first 
call  and  she  would  teach  him  a  verse  of  scripture  and  read 
him  a  chapter.  This  meant  that  the  lassie  must  rise  that 
much  earlier,  but  what  of  that  for  a  servant  of  the  King? 

Just  a  month  this  program  was  carried  out,  and  then 
came  marching  orders  for  the  boy,  but  by  this  time  he  had 
a  rich  store  of  God's  word  safe  in  his  heart  from  the  verses 
he  had  memorized.  The  last  night  when  he  came  to  say 
good-bye  he  said  to  his  teacher : 

"  Your  kindness  has  meant  a  lot  of  trouble  for  you,  miss, 
but  for  me  it  has  meant  life!  Before,  I  was  afraid  to 
fight ;  but  now  I  don't  even  fear  death.  I  know  now  that 
it  can  only  mean  a  new  life.  Thank  God  for  your  good- 
ness to  me ! " 

There  was  one  soldier  who  went  by  the  name  of  Scoop. 
'He  had  been  a  reporter  back  in  the  States  and  learned  to 
love  drink.  When  he  joined  the  army  he  did  not  give  up 
his  old  habits.  Whenever  anybody  remonstrated  with  him 
he  invariably  replied  gaily,  "  I'm  out  to  enjoy  life."  On 
pay-days  Scoop  celebrated  by  drinking  more  than  ever. 

One  day  he  happened  into  the  Salvation  Army  hut. 
Whether  the  pie  or  the  doughnuts  or  the  homeyness  of  the 
place  first  attracted  him  no  one  knows.  He  said  it  was  the 
pie.  Something  held  him  there.  He  came  every  night. 
The  spirit  of  the  Lord  that  lived  and  breathed  in  those  con- 
secrated men  and  girls  began  to  work  in  his  heart  and 
conscience,  and  speak  to  him  of  better1  things  that  might 
even  be  for  him. 

When  he  felt  the  desire  for  drink  or  gambling  coming 
on  he  gave  his  money  to  the  girls  to  keep  for  him. 

On  the  last  pay-day  before  he  was  sent  to  another  loca- 
tion he  took  a  paint-brush  and  some  paint  and  made  a  little 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  125 

sign  which  he  set  up  in  a  prominent  place  in  the  hut,  his 
silent  testimony  to  what  they  had  done  for  him :  "  FOE  THE 

FIRST  TIME  ON  PAY-DAY  SCOOP  IS  SOBER  !  " 

One  morning  a  lassie  was  frying  some  doughnuts  in  the 
Gondrecourt  hut,  another  was  rolling  and  cutting,  and 
both  were  very  busy  when  a  soldier  came  in  with  the  mail. 
The  girls  went  on  with  their  work,  though  one  could  easily 
see  that  they  were  eager  for  letters.  One  was  handed  to  the 
lassie  who  was  frying  the  doughnuts.  When  she  opened  it 
she  found  it  was  an  official  dispatch.  The  others  saw  the 
change  of  her  expression  and  asked  what  was  the  matter, 
but  she  made  no  reply  while  tears  started  down  her  cheeks. 
She,  however,  went  on  frying  doughnuts.  The  others  asked 
again  what  was  the  trouble  and  for  answer  the  girl  handed 
them  the  open  dispatch,  which  stated  briefly  that  one  of  her 
three  brothers,  who  were  all  in  the  service,  had  been  killed 
in  action  on  the  previous  day.  The  others  sympathetically 
tried  to  draw  her  away  from  her  work,  but  she  said :  "  No, 
nothing  will  help  me  to  bear  my  sorrow  like  doing  some- 
thing for  others."  This  is  the  spirit  of  the  Salvation  Army 
workers.  Personal  sorrows,  personal  feelings,  personal  dif- 
ficulties, hardships,  dangers,  are  not  allowed  to  interrupt 
their  labors  of  love.  Fortunately,  it  was  later  discovered 
that  this  message  about  her  brother  was  unfounded. 

A  boy  told  this  lassie  one  day  that  the  next  day  was  his 
birthday,  and  she  saw  the  homesickness  and  yearning  in 
his  eyes  as  he  spoke.  Immediately  she  told  him  she  would 
have  a  birthday  party  for  him  and  bake  a  cake  for  it. 

She  found  some  tiny  candles  in  the  village  and  placed 
nineteen  upon  the  pretty  frosted  cake.  They  had  to  use 
a  white  bed-quilt  for  a  tablecloth,  and  none  of  the  cups  and 
saucers  matched,  but  the  table  looked  very  pretty  when  it 
was  set,  with  little  white  paper  baskets  of  almonds  which 


126  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

the  girls  had  made  at  each  iplace,  and  all  the  candles  lit 
on  the  white  cake  in  the  middle.  The  boy  brought  three 
of  his  comrades,  and  there  were  the  Salvation  Army  Major 
in  charge  and  the  lassies.  They  had  a  beautiful  time.  Of 
course  it  was  quite  a  little  extra  work  for  the  lassie,  but 
when  someone  asked  her  why  she  took  so  much  trouble  she 
had  a  faraway  look  in  her  eyes,  and  said  she  guessed  it  was 
for  the  sake  of  the  boy's  mother,  and  those  who  heard  re- 
membered that  her  own  three  brothers  were  in  United 
States  uniform  somewhere  facing  the  enemy. 

There  are  several  instances  in  which  American  soldiers 
coming  from  British  and  French  Sectors,  where  they  had 
been  brigaded  with  armies  of  those  nations,  have  upon 
entering  a  Salvation  Army  hut  for  the  first  time  without 
noticing  the  sign  over  the  door  started  to  talk  to  the  girls 
in  French — very  fragmentary  French  at  that.  When  they 
found  the  girls  to  be  Americans  they  were  almost  beside 
themselves  with  mingled  feelings  of  bashfulness  and  de- 
light. Most  of  the  soldiers  exhibit  the  former  trait. 

One  boy  approached  one  of  our  men  officers. 

"  Can  them  girls  speak  American  ?  "  he  asked,  pointing 
at  the  girls. 

On  being  assured  that  they  could,  he  said :  "  Will  they 
mind  if  I  go  up  and  speak  to  them?  I  ain't  talked  to  an 
American  woman  in  seven  months." 

Two  soldiers  were  walking  along  the  dusty  roadway. 

First  soldier :  "  Let's  go  to  the  Salvation  Army  hut." 

Second  soldier :  "  No,  I  don't  want  to." 

First  soldier :  "  They've  got  a  piano  and  a  phonograph 
and  lots  of  records." 

Second  soldier :  "  No,  I  don't  want  to." 

First  soldier:  "They've  got  books  and  "beaucoup 
games." 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  127 

Second  soldier :  "  No,  I  don't  want  to." 

First  soldier :  "  Two  American  ladies  there !  " 

Second  soldier :  "  No,  I  don't  want  to." 

First  soldier:  "They've  got  swell  coffee  and  dough- 
nuts ! " 

Second  soldier  (angrily) :  "  No !    I  said  NO !  " 

First  soldier:  "Aw,  come  on.  They  got  real  home- 
made pie ! " 

Second  soldier :  "  I  don't  care !  " 

First  soldier :  "  They  cut  their  own  wood  and  do  their 
own  work ! " 

Second  soldier:  "Well,  that's  different!  Why  didn't 
you  say  that  right  off,  you  bonehead?  Come  on.  Where 
is  it?" 

And  they  entered  the  Salvation  Army  hut  smiling. 

One  dear  Salvation  Army  lady  had  a  little  hand  sewing 
machine  which  she  took  about  with  her  and  wherever  she 
landed  she  would  sit  down  on  an  orange  crate,  put  her 
machine  on  another  and  set  up  a  tailor  shop:  sewing  up 
rips ;  refitting  coats  that  were  too  large ;  letting  out  a  seam 
that  was  top  tight ;  and  helping  the  boys  to  be  tidy  and  com- 
fortable again.  A  good  many  of  our  boys  lost  their  coats  in 
the  Soissons  fight,  and  when  they  got  new  ones  they  didn't 
always  fit,  so  this  little  sewing  machine  that  went  to  war 
came  in  very  handy.  Sometimes  the  owner  would  rip  off 
the  collar  or  rip  out  the  sleeves,  or  almost  rip  up  the  whole 
coat  and  with  her  mouthful  of  pins  skillfully  put  it  to- 
gether again  until  it  looked  as  if  it  belonged  to  the  laddie 
who  owned  it.  Then  with  some  clever  chalk  marks  replac- 
ing the  pins  she  would  run  it  through  her  little  machine, 
and  off  went  another  boy  well-clothed.  One  week  she  altered 
more  than  thirty-three  coats  in  this  way.  The  soldiers 


128  THE  WAR  ROMANCE 

called  her  "  mother  "  and  loved  to  sit  about  and  talk  with 
her  while  she  worked. 


The  men  went  in  battalions  to  the  Luneville  Sector  for 
Trench  Training  facing  the  enemy.  Of  course,  the  Salva- 
tion Army  sent  a  detachment  also. 

Over  here  they  had  to  give  up  huts.  No  huts  at  all  were 
allowed  so  near  the  front.  No  light  of  fire  or  even  stove, 
no  lights  of  any  kind  or  everything  would  be  destroyed  by 
shell  fire  at  once.  An  order  went  out  that  all  huts  near  the 
front  must  be  under  ground.  Yet  neither  did  this  daunt 
the  faithful  men  and  women  whom  God  Himself  had  sent 
to  help  those  boys  at  the  front. 

The  work  was  extended  to  other  camps  in  the  Gondre- 
court  area  and  finally  the  time  came  for  the  troops  to  move 
up  to  the  front  to  occupy  part  of  a  sector. 


m. 

THE  TOTTL  SECTOB. 

HEADQUARTERS  of  the  First  Division  were  established 
at  Menil-la-Tour  and  that  of  the  First  Brigade  at  Ansau- 
ville.  Information  came  on  leaving  the  Gondrecourt  Area, 
that  the  district  would  be  abandoned  to  the  French,  so  the 
wooden  hut  at  Montiers  was  moved  and  set  up  again  at 
Sanzey,  which  then  became  the  Headquarters  of  the  First 
Ammunition  Train.  Huts  were  established  at  Menil-la- 
Tour  and  other  points  in  the  Toul  Sector. 

It  took  three  days  to  erect  the  hut  at  Sanzey,  but  within 
an  hour  the  field  range  was  set  up,  and  a  piece  of  tarpaulin 
stretched  over  it  to  keep  the  rain  off  the  girls  and  the 
doughnuts. 

Hour  after  hour  the  girls  stood  there  making  dough- 
nuts, and  hour  after  hour  the  line  moved  slowly  along  wait- 
ing patiently  for  doughnuts.  The  Adjutant  went  away  a 
little  while  and  returned  to  find  some  of  the  same  boys 
standing  in  line  as  when  he  left.  Some  had  been  standing 
five  hours!  It  was  the  only  pastime  they  had,  just  as 
soon  as  they  were  off  duty,  to  line  up  again  for  doughnuts. 

The  hut  at  Sanzey  was  used  mostly  by  men  of  an 
Ammunition  Train.  As  in  other  places  where  the  Salva- 
tion Army  huts  catered  to  the  American  troops,  an  all-night 
service  of  hot  coffee  or  chocolate  and  doughnuts  or  cookies 
was  provided  for  the  men  as  they  returned  from  their  dan- 
gerous nightly  trips  to  the  front.  When  men  were  killed 
their  comrades  usually  brought  them  back  and  laid  them  in 

0  120 


130  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

this  hut  until  they  could  be  buried.  One  night  a  man  was 
killed  and  brought  back  in  this  fashion.  The  chaplain  was 
holding  a  service  over  his  body  in  the  hut.  The  Salvation 
Army  man  was  talking  to  the  man  who  had  been  the  dead 
lad's  "  buddie."  "  I  wish  it  was  me  instead  of  him,  Cap/' 
said  this  soldier,  "  he  was  his  mother's  oldest  son  and  she 
will  take  it  hard." 

The  Salvation  Army  was  told  that  Ansauville  was  too 
far  front  for  any  women  to  be  allowed  to  go.  They  felt, 
however,  that  it  was  advisable  for  women  to  be  there  and 
determined  to  bring  it  about  if  possible.  On  scouting  the 
town  there  was  found  no  suitable  place  in  any  of  the  build- 
ings except  one  that  was  occupied  as  the  General's  garage. 
The  Salvation  Army  was  not  permitted  to  erect  any  addi- 
tional buildings  as  it  was  feared  they  would  attract  the  fire 
of  the  Germans,  for  Ansauville  was  well  within  the  range 
of  the  German  guns. 

After  deciding  that  the  General's  garage  was  the  only 
logical  place  for  them  the  Salvation  Army  representative 
called  upon  the  General,  who  asked  him  where  he  would 
propose  establishing  a  hut.  The  Salvationist  told  him  the 
only  suitable  place  in  the  town  was  that  used  by  him  as  a 
garage.  He  immediately  gave  most  gracious  and  courteous 
consent  and  ordered  his  aide  to  find  another  garage. 

The  place  in  question  was  an  old  frame  barn  with  a 
lofty  roof  which  had  already  been  partly  shot  away  and  was 
open  to  the  sky.  They  were  not  permitted  to  repair  the 
roof  because  the  German  airplane  observers  would  notice  it 
and  know  that  some  activity  was  going  on  there  which  would 
call  for  renewed  shell  fire.  However,  the  top  of  one  of  the 
circus  tents  was  easily  run  up  in  the  barn  so  as  to  form  a 
ceiling. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  181 

Ansauville  was  between  Mandres  and  Menil-la-Tour, 
not  far  from  advanced  positions  in  the  Toul  Sector.  Five 
hundred  French  soldiers  had  been  severely  gassed  there  the 
night  before  the  Staff-Captain  and  his  helper  arrived,  and 
every  day  people  were  killed  on  the  streets  by  falling  shells. 
There  was  not  a  house  in  the  village  that  had  not  suffered 
in  some  way  from  shell  fire;  very  few  had  a  door  or  a 
window  left,  and  many  were  utterly  demolished. 

Approaching  the  town  the  roads  were  camouflaged  with 
burlap  curtains  hanging  on  wires  every  little  way,  so  that 
it  was  impossible  to  see  down  the  streets  very  far  in  either 
direction.  There  were  signs  here  and  there:  "ATTEN- 
TION I  THE  ENEMY  SEES  YOU !  " 

About  midnight  the  Staff-Captain  and  his  officer 
arrived  and  after  some  difficulty  found  the  old  barn  that 
the  Colonel  had  told  them  was  to  be  their  hut,  but  to  their 
dismay  there  were  half  a  dozen  cars  parked  inside,  includ- 
ing the  Commanding  General's,  and  it  looked  as  if  it  were 
being  used  for  the  Staff  Garage.  Looking  up  they  could 
see  the  stars  peeping  through  the  shell  holes  in  the  tiled 
roof.  It  was  the  first  time  either  of  them  had  been  in  a 
shelled  town  and  the  experience  was  somewhat  awe-inspir- 
ing. Moreover  they  were  both  hungry  and  sleepy  and  the 
situation  was  by  no  means  a  cheerful  one.  They  had  a  large 
tent  and  a  load  of  supplies  with  them  and  were  at  a  loss 
where  to  bestow  them. 

In  the  midst  of  their  perturbation  a  courier  arrived 
with  a  side  car  and  dismounted.  He  stumbled  in  on  them 
and  peered  at  them  through  the  darkness. 

"  As  I  live,  it's  the  Salvation  Army !  "  he  cried  joyfully, 
shaking  hands  with  both  of  them  at  once.  "  All  of  the  boys 
have  been  asking  when  you  were  coming.  Are  you  looking 
for  a  place  to  chow  and  sleep  ?  There's  no  place  in  town 


IS*  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

for  a  billet,  but  we  have  a  kitchen  down  the  street.  We  can 
give  you  some  chow,  and  it's  warm  there.  You  can  roll  up 
in  your  blankets  and  sleep  by  the  stove  till  morning.  Come 
with  me." 

The  cook  awakened  them  in  the  morning  with  his 
clatter  of  pots  and  pans  in  preparation  for  breakfast.  They 
arose  and  began  to  roll  up  their  blanket  packs. 

"  Don't  worry  about  getting  up  yet,'7  said  the  chief  cook 
kindly.  "  Sleep  a  little  longer.  You  are  not  in  my  way." 
But  the  two  men  thanked  him  and  declined  to  rest  longer. 

"  Where  are  you  going  to  chow  ?  "  asked  the  chief  cook. 

The  Salvationists  allowed  that  they  didn't  know. 

"  Well,  you  boys  line  up  with  this  outfit,  see  ? "  in- 
sisted the  chief  cook.  "  We  eat  three  times  a  day  and  you're 
welcome  to  everything  we  have !  " 

This  settled  the  question  of  board,  and  after  a  good 
breakfast  the  two  started  out  to  report  to  the  General  in 
command. 

He  greeted  them  most  kindly  and  made  them  feel  wel- 
come at  once. 

When  they  asked  about  the  barn  he  smiled  pleasantly : 

"  That  Colonel  of  yours  is  a  fine  fellow,"  he  said.  "  He 
told  me  that  there  was  only  one  place  in  this  town  that 
would  do  for  your  hut  and  that  was  my  garage.  He  said  he 
was  afraid  he  would  have  to  ask  me  to  move  my  car.  Just 
as  though  my  car  were  of  more  importance  than  the  souls 
of  my  men !  Gentlemen,  you  can  have  anything  you  want 
that  is  mine  to  give.  The  barn  is  yours !  And  if  there's 
anything  I  can  do,  command  me !  " 

It  was  a  very  dirty  stable  and  needed  a  deal  of  clean- 
ing, but  the  strong  workers  bent  to  their  task  with  willing 
hands,  and  soon  had  it  in  fine  order.  There  was  no  possi- 
bility of  mending  the  roof,  but  they  camouflaged  the  old 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  133 

tent  top  and  ran  it  up  inside,  and  it  kept  the  rain  and  snow 
off  beautifully.  Of  course,  it  was  no  protection  against 
shells,  but  when  they  commenced  to  arrive  everybody  de- 
parted in  a  hurry  to  the  nearby  dugouts,  returning  quietly 
when  the  firing  had  ceased.  The  nights  were  so  cold  that 
they  had  to  sleep  with  all  their  clothes  on,  even  their  over- 
coats. Often  in  the  mornings  their  shoes  were  frozen  toe 
stiff  to  put  on  until  they  were  thawed  over  a  candle.  One 
soldier  broke  his  shoe  in  two  trying  to  bend  it  one  morning. 
Sometimes  the  men  would  sleep  with  their  shoes  inside  their 
shirts  to  keep  the  damp  leather  from  freezing.  Two  yards 
from  the  stove  the  milk  froze ! 

A  field  range  had  been  secured  and  the  chimney  ex- 
tended up  from  the  roof  for  a  distance  of  forty  or  fifty 
feet.  I't  smoked  terribly,  but  on  this  range  was  cooked 
many  a  savory  meal  and  tens  of  thousands  of  doughnuts. 

Among  the  doughboys  who  loved  to  help  around  the 
Salvation  Army  hut  was  a  quiet  fellow  who  never  talked 
much  about  himself,  yet  everybody  liked  him  and  trusted 
him.  No  one  knew  much  about  him,  or  where  he  came 
from,  and  he  never  told  about  his  folks  at  home  as  some 
did.  But  he  used  to  come  in  from  the  trenches  during  the 
day  and  do  anything  he  could  to  be  useful  around  the  hut, 
which  was  run  by  two  sisters.  Even  when  he  had  to  stand 
watch  at  night  he  would  come  back  in  the  daytime  and 
help.  They  could  not  persuade  him  to  sleep  when  he  ought. 
Other  fellows  came  and  went,  talked  about  their  troubles 
and  their  joys,  got  their  bit  of  sympathy  or  cheer  and  went 
their  way,  but  this  fellow  came  every  day  and  worked 
silently,  always  on  the  job.  They  made  him  their  chief 
doughnut  dipper  and  he  seemed  to  love  the  work  and  did 
it  well. 


134  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OP 

Then  one  day  his  company  moved,  and  he  came  no  more. 
The  girls  often  asked  if  anyone  knew  anything  about  him, 
but  no  one  did.  Once  in  a  while  a  brief  note  would  come 
from  him  up  at  the  front  in  the  trenches  a  few  miles  to  the 
north,  but  never  more  than  a  word  of  greeting. 

One  morning  the  girls  were  making  doughnuts,  hard 
at  work,  and  suddenly  the  former  chief  doughnut  dipper 
stumbled  into  the  hut.  He  looked  tired  and  dusty  and  it 
was  evident  by  the  way  he  walked  that  he  was  footsore. 

"  Gee !  It's  good  to  see  you,"  he  said,  sinking  down  in 
his  old  place  by  the  stove. 

They  gave  him  a  cup  of  steaming  coffee  and  all  the 
doughnuts  he  could  eat  and  waited  for  his  story,  but  he 
did  not  begin. 

"  Well,  how  are  you  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  girls,  hoping 
to  start  him. 

"  Oh,  all  right,  thanks,"  he  said  meekly. 

"  Where  is  your  company  ?  " 

"  Up  the  line  in  some  woods." 

"How  far  is  it?" 

"  About  ten  miles." 

The  girls  felt  they  were  not  getting  on  very  fast  in 
acquiring  information. 

"  Did  you  walk  all  that  way  in  the  dust  and  sun?  " 

"  Most  of  it.    Sometimes  I  was  in  the  fields." 

"  Were  you  on  watch  last  night?  " 

"  Ye-ah." 

"  Then  you  didn't  have  any  sleep  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Why  did  you  come  over  here  then  ?  " 

"  I  wanted  to  see  you,"  There  was  a  sound  of  a  deep 
hunger  in  his  voice. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  135 

"  Well,  we're  awfully  glad  to  see  you,  surely.  Is  there 
anything  we  can  do  for  you  ?  " 

"No.  Just  let  me  look  at  you" — there  was  frank 
honesty  in  his  eyes,  a  deep  undertone  of  reverence  in  his 
voice,  not  even  a  hint  of  gallantry  or  flattery,  only  a  loyal 
homage. 

"  Jus,t  let  me  look  at  you — and "  he  hesitated. 

"And  what?" 

"  And  cook  some  doughnuts." 

"  Why,  of  course ! "  said  the  girls  cheerily,  "  but  you 
must  lie  down  and  sleep  awhile  first.  We'll  fix  a  place  for 
you." 

"I  don't  want  to  lie  down,"  said  the  soldier  deter- 
minedly, "  I  don't  want  to  waste  the  time." 

"  But  it  wouldn't  be  wasted.    You  need  the  sleep." 

"  No,  that  isn't  what  I  need.  I  want  to  look  at  you,"  he 
reiterated.  "  I've  got  a  wife  and  a  little  baby  at  home,  and 
I  love  them.  I  like  to  be  here  because  seeing  you  takes  me 
back  to  them.  This  morning  I  knew  I  ought  to  sleep,  but 
I  just  couldn't  go  over  the  top  to-night  without  seeing  you 
again.  That's  why  I  want  to  see  you  and  fry  a  few  dough- 
nuts for  you.  It  takes  me  back  to  them." 

He  finished  with  a  far-away  look  in  his  eyes.  He  was  not 
thinking  what  impression  his  words  would  make,  his 
thoughts  were  with  his  wife  and  little  baby. 

He  worked  around  for  a  couple  of  hours,  saying  very 
little,  but  seeming  quite  content.  Then  he  looked  at  his 
watch  and  said  it  was  time  to  go,  as  it  was  quite  a  walk 
back  to  his  company.  Just  so  quietly  he  took  his  leave  and 
went  out  to  take  his  chance  with  Death. 

The  two  girls  thought  much  about  him  that  night  as 
they  went  about  their  work,  and  later  lay  down  and  tried  to 
sleep,  and  their  prayers  went  up  for  the  faithful  soul  who 


136  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

was  doing  his  duty  out  there  under  fire,  and  for  the  anxious 
wife  and  little  one  who  waited  to  know  the  outcome.  Sleep 
did  not  come  soon  to  their  eyes,  as  they  lay  in  the  darkness 
and  prayed. 

"  The  next  day  about  noon  as  the  girls  were  dipping 
doughnuts  the  chief  doughnut  dipper  stumbled  once  more 
into  the  hut,  tired,  dirty,  dusty  and  worn,  but  with  his  eyes 
sparkling : 

"  Just  thought  I  ought  to  come  back  and  tell  you  I'm 
all  right,"  he  said.  "  I  was  afraid  you'd  be  worried.  My 
wife  and  baby  would,  anyway." 

The  girls  received  him  with  exultant  smiles. 

"  You  go  out  there  under  the  trees  and  go  to  sleep ! " 
they  ordered  him. 

"  All  right,  I  will,"  he  said.  "  I  feel  like  sleeping  now. 
Say,  you  don't  think  I'm  crazy,  do  you  ?  I  just  had  to  see 
you !  It  took  me  back  to  them !  " 

It  was  one  of  those  chill  rainy  nights  which  have  caused 
the  winter  of  1917-1918  to  be  remembered  with  shudders 
by  the  men  of  the  earlier  American  Expeditionary  Forces. 
A  large  part  of  the  American  forces  were  billeted  in  the 
weathered,  age-old  little  villages  of  the  Gondrecourt  area. 
They  slept  in  barns,  haylofts,  cowsheds  and  even  in  pig 
sties.  The  roads  were  mere  ditches  running  knee  deep  in 
sticky,  clogging  mud.  Shoes,  soaked  through  from  the 
muddy  road,  froze  as  the  men  slept  and  in  the  morning  had 
to  be  thawed  out  over  a  candle  before  they  could  be  drawn 
on.  Frequently  men  were  late  at  roll-call  simply  because 
their  shoes  were  frozen  so  stiff  that  they  were  unable  to  don 
them,  and  their  leggings  so  icy  that  they  could  not  be  wound. 
After  sundown  there  were  no  lights,  because  lights  invited 
air-raids  and  might  well  expose  the  position  of  troops  to 
the  enemy  observers.  Only  in  towns  where  there  were  Sal- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  137 

vation  Army  or  Y.  M.  C.  A.  huts  could  men  find  any  arti- 
ficial warmth  during  the  day  or  night,  and  only  in  these 
places  were  there  any  lights  after  nightfall.  Such  huts 
afforded  absolutely  the  only  available  recreation  facilities. 
But  in  countless  villages  where  Americans  were  billeted 
there  was  not  even  this  small  comfort  to  be  had. 

On  this  particular  night,  in  such  a  village,  an  eighteen- 
year-old  boy  sat  in  the  orderly  room  of  a  regimental  head- 
quarters, which  was  housed  in  a  once  pretentious  but  now 
sadly  decrepit  house.  Rain  leaked  through  the  tiled  roof 
and  dribbled  down  into  the  room.  Windows  were  long 
ago  shattered  and  through  cracks  in  the  rude  board  barri- 
cades which  had  replaced  the  glass  a  rising  wind  was 
driving  the  rain.  The  boy  sat  at  a  rough  wooden  table 
waiting  orders.  Two  weeks  previously  a  letter  had  come, 
saying  that  his  mother  was  seriously  ill.  Since  that  he  had 
had  no  further  word.  He  was  desperately  homesick.  There 
had  been  as  yet  none  of  the  danger  and  none  of  the  thrill 
which  seems  to  settle  a  man  down  to  the  serious  business 
of  war. 

A  passing  soldier  had  just  told  him  that  in  a  village 
some  twelve  kilometers  distant  two  Salvation  Army 
women  were  operating  a  hut.  He  longed  desperately  for 
the  comfort  of  a  woman  of  his  own  people  and,  sitting  in 
the  drafty,  damp  room,  he  wished  that  these  two  Salva- 
tionists were  not  so  far  away — that  he  could  talk  with  them 
and  confide  in  them.  At  last  the  wish  grew  so  strong  that 
he  could  no  longer  resist  it. 

He  got  up  quietly,  and  silently  slipped  out  into  the 
rainy  night.  The  darkness  was  so  thick  that  he  could  not 
see  objects  six  feet  away.  Walking  through  the  mud  was 
out  of  the  question.  He  stumbled  down,  the  street,  once 
falling  headlong  into  a  muddy  puddle,  finally  reaching  the 


138  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

horse-lines,  where,  saying  that  he  had  an  errand  for  the 
Colonel,  he  saddled  a  horse  and  slopped  off  into  the  night. 

For  a  while  he  kept  to  the  road,  his  horse  occasionally 
taking  fright,  as  a  truck  passed  clanking  slowly  in  the 
opposite  direction,  or  a  staff  car  turned  out  to  pass  him 
like  a  fleeting,  ghostly  shadow.  By  following  the  trees 
which  lined  the  road  at  regular  intervals  he  was  fairly 
sure  to  keep  the  road.  He  was  very  tired  and  soon  began 
to  feel  sleepy,  but  the  driving  storm,  which  by  this  time 
had  assumed  the  proportions  of  a  tempest,  stung  him  to 
wakefulness.  Once,  at  a  cross-roads  a  Military  Police 
stopped  and  questioned  him  and  gave  him  directions  upon 
his  saying  that  he  was  carrying  dispatches. 

He  went  on.  He  dozed,  only  to  be  sharply  awakened 
by  a  truck  which  almost  ran  him  down.  He  must  be  more 
careful,  he  thought  to  himself,  feeling  utterly  alone  and 
miserable.  But  in  spite  of  his  resolution  his  eyes  soon 
closed  again.  He  was  awakened,  this  time  by  his  horse 
stumbling  over  some  unseen  obstacle.  He  could  see  nothing 
in  any  direction.  The  blackness  and  rain  shut  him  in  like  a 
fog.  He  turned  at  right  angles  to  find  the  trees  which 
lined  the  road,  but  there  were  no  trees.  He  swung  his 
horse  around  and  went  in  the  other  direction,  but  he  found 
no  trees — only  an  impenetrable  darkness  which  pressed  in 
upon  him  with  a  heaviness  which  might  almost  have  been 
weighed.  He  was  lost — utterly  lost. 

He  guided  his  steed  in  futile  circles,  hoping  to  regain 
the  road,  but  all  to  no  avail.  Fear  of  the  night  fell  upon 
him.  He  was  wet  to  the  skin  and  chilled  to  the  bone.  He 
shivered  with  cold  and  with  fright.  Dropping  from  his 
horse  he  pulled  from  his  pocket  an  electric  flashlight  and 
began  throwing  its  slender  beam  in  widening  arcs  over  the 
ground.  The  light  revealed  a  stubble  field.  Surely  there 
must  be  a  path  which  would  lead  to  the  road,  thought  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  139 

boy.  Backward  and  forward  over  the  field  he  waved  the 
light.  His  hands  trembled  so  that  he  could  not  hold  the 
switch  steady,  and  the  lamp  blinked  on  and  off. 

On  the  storm-swept,  night-hidden  hillside  which  over- 
hung the  field  was  established  an  anti-aircraft  battery. 
The  sound  detectors  had  just  registered  the  intermittent 
hum  of  an  enemy  plane.  It  was  unusual  that  an  enemy 
aviator  should  fight  his  way  over  the  lines  in  the  face  of 
such  a  storm,  but  such  things  had  occurred  before  and  the 
Captain  in  charge  of  the  battery  searched  the  tempestuous 
skies  for  the  intruder,  waiting  for  the  sound  to  grow  until 
he  should  know  that  the  searchlights  had  at  least  a  chance 
of  locating  the  venturesome  plane  instead  of  merely  giving 
away  their  position. 

Suddenly,  cutting  the  night  in  the  field  below,  a  tiny 
ray  of  light  cut  the  darkness,  sweeping  back  and  forward, 
flashing  on  and  off.  For  a  moment  the  officer  watched  it, 
then,  with  a  muttered  curse,  he  raced  down  the  hillside 
followed  by  one  of  his  men.  The  noise!  of  the  storm  hid 
their  approach.  The  boy  collapsed  into  a  trembling  heap, 
as  the  officer  grasped  him  and  wrested  the  flash-light  from 
his  chilled  fingers.  He  made  no  protest  as  they  led  him 
down  into  a  dark,  deserted  village.  He  followed  his  captors 
into  a  candle-lighted  room  where  sat  a  staff  officer. 

Briefly  the  Captain  explained  the  situation. 

"  Caught  him  in  the  act  of  signaling  to  an  enemy  plane, 
sir,"  he  said. 

The  boy  waa  too  cold  to  venture  a  protest. 

"Bring  him  to  me  again  in  the  morning,"  said  the 
'Colonel,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "Hold  on,  though! 
What  are  you  going  to  do  with  him?  He  will  die  unless 
you  get  him  warmed  up/' 

"  Don't  know  what  to  do  with  him,  sir,  unless  I  take 
hian  down  to  the  Salvation  Army  .  .  .  they  have  a 
fire  there." 


140  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"  Very  good,  Captain,  see  that  he  is  properly  guarded 
and  if  they  will  have  him,  leave  him  there  for  the  night/' 

And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  the  boy  reached  his  destina- 
tion. It  was  past  closing  time — long  past ;  but  the  motherly 
Salvationist  in  charge  knew  just  what  to  do.  Within  ten 
minutes,  wrapped  in  a  warm  blanket,  the  boy  sat  with  his 
feet  in  a  pan  of  hot  water,  with  the  Salvation  Army 
woman  feeding  him  steaming  lemonade.  Between  gulps, 
he  told  his  story  and  was  comforted.  Soon  he  was  snugly 
tucked  into  an  army  cot,  and  still  grasping  the  Salva- 
tionist's hand,  was  sleeping  peacefully. 

The  next  day  a  little  investigation  assured  the  Colonel 
that  the  boy's  story  was  a  true  one,  and  with  a  reprimand 
for  leaving  his  post  without  orders  he  was  allowed  to  re- 
turn. The  delay,  however,  had  absented  him,  of  course, 
from  morning  roll-call,  and  he  was  sentenced  to  thirty 
days  repairing  wire  on  the  front-line  trenches,  which  was 
often  equivalent  to  a  death  sentence,  for  as  many  men  were 
shot  during  the  performance  of  this  duty  as  came  in 
safely. 

He  had  done  fifteen  days  of  his  time  at  this  sentence 
when  the  Salvation  Army  woman  from  the  Ansauville  hut 
which  the  boy  had  visited  that  rainy  night  happened  over 
to  his  Officers'  Headquarters,  and  by  chance  learned  of  his 
unhappy  fate.  It  took  but  a  few  words  from  her  to  his 
commanding  officer  to  set  matters  right;  his  sentence  was 
revoked,  and  he  was  pardoned. 

Ansauville  was  a  point  of  peculiar  importance  in  that 
all  the  troops  passing  into  or  out  from  the  sector  stopped 
there.  It  was  here  that  cocoa  and  coffee  were  first  provided 
for  the  troops.  Afterwards  it  came  to  be  the  habit  to  serve 
them  with  the  doughnuts  and  pie.  It  was  when  the  Twenty- 
sixth  Division  came  into  the  line.  They  had  marched  for 
hours  and  had  been  without  any  warm  meal  for  a  long  time. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  141 

Detachments  of  them  reached  Ansauville  at  night,  wet  and 
cold,  too  late  to  secure  supper  that  night,  and  hearing  they 
were  coming,  the  lassies  put  on  great  boilers  of  coffee  and 
cocoa,  and  as  the  men  arrived  they  were  given  to  them  freely. 

A  hut  was  established  at  Mandres.  This  was  some  dis- 
tance in  advance  of  Ansauville  and  lay  in  the  valley.  At 
first  a  wooden  building  was  secured.  It  had  nothing  but 
a  dirt  floor  but  lumber  was  hauled  from  Newchateau  by 
truck — a  distance  of  sixty  miles,  and  the  place  was  made 
comfortable. 

For  some  little  time  the  boys  enjoyed  this  hut,  but  on  one 
occasion  the  Germans  sent  over  a  heavy  barrage;  they  hit 
the  hut,  destroying  one  end  of  it,  scattering  the  supplies, 
ruining  the  victrola,  and  after  that  the  military  authorities 
ordered  that  the  men  should  not  assemble  in  such  numbers. 

When  this  order  was  given,  the  Salvation  Army  had  no 
intention  of  discontinuing  work  at  Mandres  and  so  found 
a  cellar  under  a  partially  destroyed  building.  This  cellar 
was  vaulted  and  had  been  used  for  storing  wine.  It  was 
wet  and  in  bad  condition,  but  with  some  labor  it  was  made 
fit  to  receive  the  men ;  and  tables  and  benches  were  placed 
there,  the  canteen  established  and  a  range  set  up.  It  was 
at  this  place  that  a  very  wonderful  work  was  carried  on. 
The  Salvation  Army  Ensign  who  had  charge,  for  a  time, 
scoured  the  country  for  miles  around  to  purchase  eggs,  which 
he  transferred  to  his  hut  in  an  old  baby  carriage.  The  eggs 
were  supplied  to  the  men  at  cost  and  they  fried  them 
themselves  on  the  range,  which  was  close  at  hand.  This 
was  considered  by  the  military  authorities  too  far  front 
for  women  to  come  and  only  men  were  allowed  here. 

The  Ensign  also  mixed  batter  for  pan  cakes  and  estab- 
lished quite  a  reputation  as  a  pan-cake  maker.  Here  was 
a  place  where  the  soldiers  felt  at  home.  They  could  come 
in  at  any  time  and  on  the  fire  cook  what  they  pleased. 


142  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

They  could  purchase  at  the  canteen  such  articles  as  were 
for  sale  and  it  was  home  to  them.  Very  wonderful  meet- 
ings were  held  in  this  spot  and  many  men  found  Christ  at 
the  penitent-form,  which  was  an  old  bench  placed  in  front 
of  the  canteen. 

On  the  wharf  in  New  York  when  the  soldiers  were 
returning  home  some  soldiers  were  talking  about  the  Sal- 
vation Army.  "  Did  you  ever  go  to  one  of  their  meetings  ?  " 
asked  one.  "  I  sure  did !  "  answered  a  big  fine  fellow — a 
college  man,  by  the  way,  from  one  of  the  well  known  New 
England  universities.  "  I  sure  did ! — and  it  was  the  most 
impressive  service  I  ever  attended.  It  was  down  in  an  old 
wine  cellar,  and  the  house  over  it  wasn't  because  it  had 
been  blown  away.  The  meeting  was  led  by  a  little  Swede, 
and  he  gave  a  very  impressive  address,  and  followed  it  by  a 
wonderful  prayer.  And  it  wasn't  because  it  was  so  learned 
either,  for  the  man  was  no  college  chap,  but  it  stirred  me 
deeply.  I  used  to  be  a  good  deal  of  a  barbarian  before  I 
went  to  France,  but  that  meeting  made  a  big  change  in  me. 
Things  are  going  to  be  different  now. 

"  The  place  was  lit  by  a  candle  or  two  and  the  guns  were 
roaring  overhead,  but  the  room  was  packed  and  a  great 
many  men  stood  up  for  prayers.  Oh,  I'll  never  forget  that 
meeting ! " 

That  meeting  was  in  the  old  wine  cellar  in  Mandres. 

The  town  of  Mandres  was  shelled  daily  and  it  was  an 
exceptional  day  that  passed  without  from  one  to  ten  men 
being  killed  as  a  result  of  this  shelling. 

Here  are  some  extracts  from  letters  written  by  the 
Ensign  from  the  old  wine  cellar  in  Mandres: 

"  Somewhere  in  France," 

May  15,  1918. 

I  am  still  busy  in  my  old  wine-cellar  in  France.  I  must  give 
you  an  idea  of  my  daily  routine:  Get  up  early  and/  go  to  my 


a  o 


IS 

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3 

O 
H 

m 
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a 
H 

< 

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H 
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J 
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02 

B 
1 
H 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  143 

cellar.  Get  wood  and  make  fire;  go  for  some  water  to  put  on 
stove.  Take  my  mess  kit,  helmet,  gas  mask  and  cane,  walk  about 
one  block  to  the  part  of  the  church  standing  by  the  artillery 
kitchen  and  get  my  hand-out  mess,  go  tack  to  my  cellar  and  have 
my  breakfast,  see  to  the  fire,  fuel,  clean  and  light  the  lamps,  dip 
and  carry  out  some  water  and  mud  (but  have  now  found  a  place 
to  drain  off  the  water  by  cutting  through  the  heavy  stone  wall 
and  digging  a  ditch  underneath).  I  dig  whenever  I  have  time. 
Then  the  boys  begin  to  cornel  in — some  right  from  the  trenches, 
others  who  are  resting  up  after  a  siege  in  the  trenches.  They  are 
all  covered  with  mud  when  they  come  in  and  have  to  talk,  stand 
and  even  sleep  in  mud.  Then  I  must  have  the  cocoa  and  coffee 
ready  and  serve  also  the  candy,  figs,  nuts,  gum,  chocolate,  shaving- 
sticks,  razors,  watches,  knives,  gun  oil,  paper,  envelopes,  etc.  I 
mostly  wear  my  rubber  boots  and  stand  in  a  little  boot 
"  slouched  "  down  so  I  can  stand  straight.  Almost  every  evening 
we  have  a  little  "sing-song"  or  regular  service,  and  on  Sunday 
two  or  three  services. 

Our  wine-cellar  is  supposed  to  be  bomb-proof.  First  the  roof, 
the  ceiling,  the  floor,  then  the  three-feet  stone  and  concrete  under 
the  floor  and  along  the  wine-cellar.  I  am  all  alone  for  all  this  busi- 
ness. Sometimes  the  boys  help  me  to  cut  wood  and  keep  the  fire 
and  carry  water,  but  the  companies  are  changed  so  often  that 
they  go  and  come  every  five  days,  and  when  they  come  from  the 
trenches  they  are  so  tired  and  sleepy  they  need  all  the  rest  they 
can  get.  Yesterday  I  had  to  change  the  stove  and  stovepipes 
because  it  smoked  so  bad  that  it  almost  smoked  us  out.  So  I  had 
to  run  through  the  ruins  and  find  old  stovepipes.  I  could  not 
find  enough  elbows,  so  I  had  to  make  some  with  the  help  of  an 
old  knife.  We  ran  the  pipes  through  the  low  window  bars  and 
up  the  side:  of  the  house  to  the  top,  and  plastered  up  poor  joints 
with  mud,  but  it  burns  better  and  does  not  smoke.  The  boys 
claim  I  make  the  best  coffee  they  have  had  in  France,  and  also 
cocoa.  I  am  glad  I  know  something  of  cooking.  You  see,  they 
don't  permit  girls  so  near  the  trenches  and  in  the  shell  fire. 

My  dear  Major: 

Grace,  love  and  peace  unto  you !  Many  thanks  for  the  beau- 
tiful letter  I  received  from  you  full  of  love,  Christian  admonition 
and  encouragement.  Such  letters  are  much  appreciated  over  here. 

I  have  been  very  busy.    The  last  week,  in  addition  to  running 


144  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

the  ordinary  business,  I  have  used  the  pick  and  shovel  and  wheel- 
barrow in  lowering  our  wine-cellar  floor  (now  used  as  a  Salvation 
Army  rest  room),  so  we  can  walk  straight  in.  I  have  also  done 
some  white-washing  to  brighten  things  up  and  have  some  flowers 
in  bowls,  large  French  wine  bottles  and  big  brass  shells,  which 
makes  a  great  improvement.  I  now  expect  to  pick  up  pieces  and 
erect  a  range,  so  we  can  cook  and,  make  things  faster.  I  secured 
two  hams  and  am  having  them  cooked,  and  expect  to  serve  ham 
sandwiches  by  Decoration  Day,  two  days  hence,  when  there  is  to 
be  a  great  time  in  decorating  the  graves  of  our  heroes.  I  am  also 
trying  to  get  some  lemons  so  that  I  can  make  lemonade  for  the 
boys  besides  the  coffee  and  cocoa.  You  can.  get  an  idea  of  the 
immensity  of  our  business  when  I  tell  you  I  got  999.25  francs 
worth  of  butter-scotch  candy  alone  with  the  last  lot  of  goods, 
besides  a  dozen  other  kinds  of  candy,  nuts,  toilet  articles,  etc., 
and  this  will  be  sold  and  given  out  in  a  very  few  days. 

We  had  very  good  meetings  last  Sunday.  I  spoke  at  night. 
A  glorious  time  we  had,  indeed.  Praise  God  for  the  opportunity 
of  working  among  the  New  England  braves! 

At  Menil-la-Tours  the  French  forbade  any  huts  at  all 
to  be  put  up  at  first,  but  finally  they  gave  permission  for 
one  hut.  The  Staff-Captain  wanted  to  put  up  two,  but  as 
that  wasn't  allowed  he  got  around  the  order  by  building  five 
rooms  on  each  side  of  the  one  big  hut  and  so  had  plenty  of 
room.  It  is  pretty  hard  to  get  ahead  of  a  Salvation  Army 
worker  when  he  has  a  purpose  in  view.  Not  that  they  are 
stubborn,  simply  that  they  know  how  to  accomplish  their 
purpose  in  the  nicest  way  possible  and  please  everybody. 

There  were  some  American  railroad  engineers  here, 
working  all  night  taking  stuff  to  the  front.  They  came  over 
and  asked  if  they  could  help  out,  and  so  instead  of  taking 
their  day  for  sleep  they  spent  most  of  it  putting  tar  paper 
on  the  roof  of  the  Salvation  Army  hut. 

It  was  in  this  place  that  there  seemed  to  be  a  strong 
prejudice  among  some  of  the  soldiers  against  the  Salvation 
Army  for  some  reason.  The  soldiers  stood  about  swearing 
at  the  Staff-Captain  and  his  helper  as  they  worked,  and 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  145 

saying  the  most  abusive  and  contemptible  things  to  them. 
At  last  the  Staff-Captain  turned  about  and,  looking  at  them, 
in  the  kindliest  way  said : 

"  See  here,  boys,  did  you  ever  know  anything  about  the 
Salvation  Army  before  ?  " 

They  admitted  that  they  had  not. 

"  Well,  now,  just  wait  a  little  while.  Give  us  fair  play 
and  see  if  we  are  like  what  you  say  we  are.  Wait  until  we 
get  our  hut  done  and  get  started,  and  then  if  you  don't 
like  us  you  can  say  so." 

"  Well,  that's  fair,  Dad/'  spoke  up  one  soldier,  and  after 
that  there  was  no  more  trouble,  and  it  wasn't  long  before 
the  soldiers  were  giving  the  most  generous  praise  to  the 
Salvation  Army  on  every  side. 

L'Hermitage,  nestled  in  the  heart  of  a  deep  woods,  was 
no  quiet  refuge  from  the  noise  of  battle  and  the  troubles 
of  a  war-weary  world,  as  one  might  suppose.  It  was  sur- 
rounded by  swamps  everywhere.  And  it  had  been  raining, 
of  course.  It  always  seems  to  have  been  raining  in  France 
during  this  war.  There  were  duck  boards  over  the  swampy 
ground,  and  a  single  mis-step  might  send  one  prone  in  the 
ooze  up  to  the  elbows. 

It  was  a  very  dangerous  place,  also. 

There  was  a  large  ammunition  dump  in  the  town,  and 
besides  that  there  was  a  great  balloon  located  there  which 
the  Boche  planes  were  always  trying  to  get.  It  was  the 
nearest  to  the  front  of  any  of  our  balloons  and,  of  course, 
was  a  great  target  for  the  enemy.  There  was  a  lot  of  heavy 
coast  artillery  there,  also,  and  there  were  monster  shell 
holes  big  enough  to  hold  a  good  audience. 

At  last  one  day  the  enemy  did  get  the  ammunition 

dump,  and  report  after  report  rent  the  air  as  first  one  shell 

and  then  another  would  burst  and  go  up  in  flame.    It  was 

fourteen  hours  going  off  and  the  military  officer  ordered 

10 


146  THE  WAR  ROMANCE 

the  girls  to  their  billets  until  it  should  be  over.  It  was  like 
this:  First  a  couple  of  shells  would  explode,  then  there 
would  be  a  second's  quiet  and  a  keg  of  powder  would  flare ; 
then  some  boxes  of  ammunition  would  go  off;  then  some 
more  shells.  It  was  a  terrible  pandemonium  of  sound. 
Thirty  miles  away  in  Gondrecourt  they  saw  the  fire  and 
heard  the  terrific  explosions. 

The  Zone  Major  and  one  of  his  helpers  had  been  to 
Nancy  for  a  truck  load  of  eggs  and  were  just  unloading; 
when  the  explosions  began.  Together  they  were  carefully' 
lifting  out  a  crate  containing  a  hundred  dozen  eggs  when 
the  mammoth  detonations  began  that  rocked  the  earth  be- 
neath them  and  threatened  to  shake  them  from  their  feet. 
They  staggered  and  tottered  but  they  held  onto  the  eggs. 
One  of  the  sayings  of  Commander  Eva  Booth  is,  "  Choose 
your  purpose  and  let  no  whirlwind  that  sweeps,  no  enemy 
that  confronts  you,  no  wave  that  engulfs  you,  no  peril  that 
affrights  you,  turn  you  from  it."  The  Zone  Major  and  his 
helper  had  chosen  the  purpose  of  landing  those  eggs  safely, 
and  eggs  at  five  francs  a  dozen  are  not  to  be  lightly  dropped, 
so  they  staggered  but  they  held  onto  the  eggs. 

The  girls  in  the  canteen  went  quietly  about  their  work 
until  ordered  to  safety;  but  over  in  Sanzey  and  Menil-la- 
Tour  their  friends  watched  and  waited  anxiously  to  hear 
what  had  been  their  fate. 

The  General  who  was  in  charge  of  the  Twenty-sixth 
Division  was  exceedingly  kind  to  the  Salvation  Army  girls. 
He  acted  like  a  father  toward  them:  giving  up  his  own 
billet  for  their  use;  sending  an  escort  to  take  them  to  it 
through  the  woods  and  swamps  and  dangers  when  their 
work  at  the  canteen  was  over  for  a  brief  respite ;  setting  a 
sentry  to  guard  them  and  to  give  a  gas  alarm  when  it  be- 
came necessary ;  and  doing  everything  in  his  power  for  their 
comfort  and  safety. 


P  M 

o  <: 
«  H 


IV. 

THE  MONTDIDIER  SECTOR. 

SPRING  came  on  even  in  shell-torn  France,  lovely  like 
the  miracle  it  always  is.  Bare  trees  in  a  day  were  arrayed 
in  wondrous  green.  A  camouflage  of  beauty  spread  itself 
upon  the  valleys  and  over  the  hillsides  like  a  garment  sewn 
with  colored  broidery  of  blossoms.  Great  scarlet  poppies 
Earned  from  ruined  homes  as  if  the  blood  that  had  been 
-pilt  were  resurrected  in  a  glorious  color  that  would  seek  to 
nide  the  misery  and  sorrow  and  touch  with  new  loveliness 
the  war-scarred  place.  Little  birds  sent  forth  their  flutey 
voices  where  mortals  must  be  hushed  for  fear  of  enemies. 

The  British  had  been  driven  back  by  the  Huns  until 
they  admitted  that  their  backs  were  against  the  wall,  and  it 
was  an  anxious  time.  Daily  the  enemy  drew  nearer  to  Paris. 

When  the  great  offensive  was  started  by  the  Germans  in 
March,  1918,  and  American  troops  were  sent  up  to  help  the 
British  and  French,  the  Division  was  located  at  Mont- 
didier.  Under  the  rules  for  the  conduct  of  war,  they  were 
not  permitted  to  know  where  they  were  destined  to  go,  and 
so  the  Salvation  Army  could  not  secure  that  information. 
They  knew  it  was  to  be  north  of  Paris,  but  where,  was  the 
problem. 

The  French  were  opposed  to  any  relief  organizations 
going  into  the  Sector,  and  rules  and  regulations  were  made 
which  were  calculated  to  discourage  or  to  keep  them  out 
altogether. 

It  was  urgent  that  the  Salvation  Army  should  be  there 
at  the  earliest  possible  moment  and  as  they  could  not  secure 
permits,  especially  for  the  women,  they  decided  to  get  there 
without  permits, 

147 


148  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Th«  first  contingent  was  put  into  a  big  Army  truck, 
the  cover  was  put  down  and  they  were  started  on  the  road, 
to  a  point  from  which  they  hoped  to  secure  information 
ef  the  movements  of  their  outfit.  From  place  to  place  this 
truck  proceeded  until,  finally,  detachments  of  the  troops 
were  located  in  the  vicinity  of  Gisors.  Contact  was  imme- 
diately established.  The  girls  were  received  with  the  great- 
eat  joy  and  portable  tents  were  set  up.  It  seemed  as  if 
every  man  in  the  Division  must  come  to  say  how  glad  he 
was  to  see  them  back.  The  men  decided  that  if  it  was  in 
their  power  they  would  never  again  allow  the  Salvation 
Army  to  be  separated  from  them.  A  few  days  later  when 
the  Division  was  ordered  to  move  they  took  these  same 
lassies  with  them  riding  in  army  trucks.  The  troops  were 
on  their  way  to  the  front  and  seldom  remained  more  than 
three  days  in  one  place,  and  frequently  only  one  day.  On 
arrival  at  the  stopping-place,  fifteen  or  twenty  of  the  boys 
would  immediately  proceed  to  erect  the  tent  and  within  an 
hour  or  two  a  comfortable  place  would  be  in  operation,  a 
field  range  set  up,  the  phonograph  going,  and  the  boys  had 
a  home. 

At  Courcelles  the  Salvation  Army  set  up  a  tent,  started 
a  canteen,  and  had  it  going  four  days  in  charge  of  two 
sisters  just  come  from  the  States.  Then  one  morning  they 
woke  up  and  found  their  outfit  gone,  they  knew  not  where, 
and  they  had  to  pick  up  and  go  after  them.  An  all-day 
journey  took  them  to  Froissy,  where  they  found  their  special 
outfit. 

There  was  no  place  for  a  tent  at  Froissy,  but  there  was 
an  old  dance  hall,  where  they  had  their  canteen.  The  Divi- 
sion stayed  there  five  weeks — under  a  roar  of  guns.  But  in 
spite  of  this  there  were  wonderful  meetings  every  night  in 
Froissy. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  149 

This  work  was  exceedingly  trying  on  the  girls.  Per- 
mits were  never  secured  for  any  of  the  Salvation  Army 
workers  in  this  Sector.  They  were  applied  for  regularly 
through  the  French  Army.  About  three  months  after 
application  was  made,  they  were  all  received  back  with  the 
statement  from  the  French  that,  seeing  the  workers  were 
already  there,  it  was  not  now  necessary  that  permits  should 
be  issued.  It  must  be  reported  that  the  French  Army  was 
opposed  to  the  presence  of  women  in  any  of  the  camps  of 
the  soldiers.  This  prejudice  existed  for  a  long  time,  but  it 
was  finally  broken  down  because  of  the  good  work  done  by 
Salvation  Army  women,  which  came  to  be  fully  recognized 
by  the  French  Army. 

The  work  in  the  Montdidier  Sector  was  particularly 
hard.  Permanent  buildings  could  not  be  established.  The 
best  that  could  be  done  was  to  erect  portable  tents,  which 
were  about  twenty  feet  wide  and  fifty-seven  feet  long.  Huts 
were  established  in  partially  destroyed  buildings  or  houses 
or  stores  that  had  been  vacated  by  their  owners,  and  on  the 
extreme  front  canteens  were  established  in  dugouts  and 
cellars  and  the  entire  district  was  under  bombardment  from 
the  German  guns  as  well  as  from  the  airplane  bombs.  The 
Salvation  Army  had  no  place  there  that  was  not  under 
bombardment  continually.  The  huts  were  frequently 
shelled  and  there  was  imminent  danger  for  a  long  time  that 
the  German  Army  would  break  through,  which,  of  course, 
added  to  the  strain. 

The  Zone  Major  went  back  and  forth  bringing  mori 
men  and  more  lassies  and  more  supplies  from  the  Base  at 
Paris  to  the  front,  and  many  a  new  worker  almost  lost  his 
life  in  a  baptism  of  fire  on  his  way  to  his  post  of  duty  for 
the  first  time.  But  all  these  men  and  women,  as  a  soldier 


150  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

said,  were  made  of  some  fine  high  stuff  that  never  faltered 
at  danger  or  fatigue  or  hardship. 

They  rode  over  shell-gashed  roads  in  the  blackest  mid- 
night in  a  little  dilapidated  Ford ;  made  wild  dashes  when 
they  came  to  a  road  upon  which  the  enemy's  fire  was  con- 
centrated, looking  back  sometimes  to  see  a  geyser  of  flame 
leap  up  from  a  bend  around  which  they  had  just  whirled. 
Shells  would  rain  in  the  fields  on  either  side  of  them ;  cars 
would  leap  by  them  in  the  dark,  coming  perilously  close 
and  swerving  away  just  in  time ;  and  still  they  went  bravely 
on  to  their  posts. 

Everything  would  be  blackest  darkness  and  they  would 
think  they  were  stealing  along  finely,  when  all  of  a  sudden 
an  incendiary  bomb  would  burst  and  flare  up  like  a  house- 
on-fire  lighting  up  the  whole  country  for  miles  about,  and 
there  you  were  in  plain  sight  of  the  enemy!  And  you 
couldn't  turn  back  nor  hesitate  a  second  or  you  would  be 
caught  by  the  ever  watchful  foe !  You  had  to  go  straight 
ahead  in  all  that  blare  of  light! 

The  S.  A.  Adjutant's  headquarters  were  fifty  feet  below 
the  ground ;  sometimes  the  earth  would  rock  with  the  explo- 
sives. Two  of  the  dugouts  were  burrowed  almost  beneath 
the  trenches  and  S.  A.  Officers  here  looked  after  the  needs 
of  the  men  who  were  actually  engaged  in  fighting.  Every 
night  the  shattered  villages  were  raked  and  torn  above 
them.  Such  dugouts  could  only  be  left  at  night  or  when 
the  firing  ceased.  The  two  men  who  operated  these 
lived  a  nerve-racking  existence.  Of  course,  all  piei  and 
doughnuts  for  these  places  had  to  be  prepared  far  to  the 
rear,  and  no  fire  could  be  built  as  near  to  the  front  as  this. 
It  was  no  easy  task  to  bring  the  supplies  back  and  forth. 
It  was  almost  always  done  at  the  risk  of  life. 

The  Staff-Captain  and  the  Adjutant  were  speeding 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  151 

over  a  shell-swept  road  one  cold,  black,  wet  night  at  reckless 
speed  without  a  light,  their  hearts  filled  with  anxiety,  for 
a  rumor  had  reached  them  that  two  Salvation  Army  lassies 
had  been  killed  by  shell  fire.  The  night  was  full  of  the 
sound  of  war,  the  distant  rumble  of  the  heavy  guns,  the 
nervous  stutter  of  machine  guns,  the  tearing  screech  of  a 
barrage  high  above  the  road. 

Suddenly  in  front  of  them  yawned  a  black  gulf.  The 
Adjutant  jammed  on  his  brakes,  but  it  was  too  late.  The 
game  little  Ford  sailed  right  into  a  big  shell  hole,  and 
settled  down  three  feet  below  the  road  right  side  up  but 
tightly  wedged  in.  The  two  travelers  climbed  out  and 
reconnoitered  but  found  the  situation  hopeless.  There  had 
been  many  sleepless  nights  before  this  one,  and  the  men, 
weary  beyond  endurance,  rolled  up  in  their  blankets, 
climbed  into  the  car,  and  went  to  sleep,  regardless  of  the 
guns  that  thundered  all  about  them. 

They  were  just  lost  to  the  land  of  reality  when  a  soldier 
roused  them  summarily,  saying: 

"  This  is  a  heck  of  a  place  for  the  Salvation  Army  to  go 
to  sleep !  If  you  don't  mind  I'll  just  pick  your  old  bus  out 
of  here  and  send  you  on  your  way  before  it's  light  enough 
for  Fritzy  to  spot  you  and  send  a  calling  card." 

He  was  grinning  at  them  cheerfully  and  they  roused 
to  the  occasion. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  do  it  ?  "  asked  the  Adjutant, 
who,  by  the  way,  was  Smiling  Billy,  the  same  one  the  sol- 
diers called  "  one  game  little  guy."  "  It  will  take  a  three- 
ton  truck  to  get  us  out  of  this  hole !  " 

"  I  haven't  got  a  truck  but  I  guess  we  can  turn  the  trick 
all  right !  "  said  the  soldier. 

He  disappeared  into  the  darkness  above  the  crater  and 
in  a  moment  reappeared  with  ten  more  dark  forms  follow- 


152  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

ing  him,  and  another  soldier  who  patrolled  the  rim  of  the 
crater  on  horseback. 

"  How  do  you  like  'em  ?  "  he  chuckled  to  the  Salvation 
Army  men,  as  he  turned  his  flashlight  on  the  ten  and  showed 
them  to  be  big  German  prisoners  of  war.  Under  his  direc- 
tion they  soon  had  the  little  Ford  pushed  and  shouldered 
into  the  road  once  more.  In  a  little  .while  the  Salvationists 
reached  their  destination  and  found  to  their  relief  that  the 
rumor  about  the  lassies  was  untrue. 

At  Mesnil-St.-Firmin  one  of  the  lassies,  a  young  woman 
well  known  in  New  York  society  circles,  but  a  loyal  Salva- 
tionist and  in  France  from  the  start,  drove  a  little  flivver 
carrying  supplies  for  several  .nights,  accompanied  only  by  a 
young  boy  detailed  from  the  Army.  Every  mile  of  the 
way  was  dark  and  perilous,  but  there  was  no  one  else  to  do 
the  work,  so  she  did  it. 

Here  they  were  under  shell  fire  every  night.  The  girls 
slept  in  an  old  wine  cellar,  the  only  comparatively  safe 
place  to  be  found.  It  was  damp,  with  a  fearful  odor  they 
will  never  forget — moreover,  it  was  already  inhabited  by 
rats.  They  frequently  had  to  retire  to  the  cellar  during  gas 
attacks,  and  stay  for  hours,  sometimes  having  only  time  to 
seize  an  overcoat  and  throw  it  over  their  night-clothes. 
They  were  here  through  ten  counter-attacks  and  when 
Cantigny  was  taken. 

There  seemed  to  be  big  movements  among  the  Germans 
one  day.  They  were  bringing  up  reinforcements,  and  a 
large  attack  was  expected.  The  airplanes  were  dropping 
bombs  freely  everywhere  and  it  looked  as  if  there  would  not 
be  one  brick  left  OB  the  top  of  another  in  a  few  hours.  Then 
the  military  authorities  ordered  the  two  girls  to  leave  town. 

When  the  k*7§  heard  that  the  hut  was  being  shelled  and 
the  girls  were  ordered  to  leave  they  poured  in  to  tell  them 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  153 

how  much  they  would  miss  them.  They  well  knew  from 
experience  that  their  staunch  hardworking  little  friends 
would  not  have  left  them  if  they  could  have  helped  it.  Also, 
they  dreaded  to  lose  these  consecrated  young  women  from 
their  midst.  They  had  a  feeling  that  their  presence 
brought  the  presence  of  the  great  God,  with  His  protec- 
tion, and  in  this  they  had  come  to  trust  in  their  hour  of 
danger.  Often  the  boys  would  openly  speak  of  this,  owning 
that  they  attributed  their  safety  to  the  presence  of  their 
Christian  friends. 

One  young  officer  from  the  officers'  mess  where  the  girls 
had  dined  once  at  their  invitation,  brought  them  boxes  of 
candy,  and  in  presenting  them  said : 

"  Gee !    We  shall  miss  you  like  the  devil !  " 

The  lassie  twinkled  up  in  a  merry  smile  and  answered : 

"  That  sure  is  some  comparison !  " 

The  officer  blushed  as  red  as  a  peony  and  tried  to 
apologize : 

"  Well,  now,  you  know  what  I  mean.  I  don't  know  just 
how  to  say  how  much  we  shall  miss  you !  " 

They  left  at  midnight  on  foot  accompanied  by  one  of 
the  Salvation  Army  men  workers  who  had  been  badly 
gassed  and  needed  to  get  back  of  the  lines  and  have  some 
treatment.  It  was  brilliant  moonlight  as  they  hiked  it 
down  the  road,  the  airplanes  were  whizzing  over  their  heads 
and  the  anti-aircraft  guns  piling  into  them. 

They  started  for  La  Folie,  the  Headquarters  of  the 
Staff-Captain  of  that  zone,  but  they  lost  their  way  and  got 
far  out  of  the  track,  arriving  at  last  at  Breteuil.  Coming 
to  the  woods  a  Military  Police  stationed  at  the  crossroads 
told  them : 

"You  can't  go  into  Breteuil  because  they  have  been 
shelling  it  for  twenty  minutes.  Eight  over  there  beyond 


154  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

where  you  are  standing  a  bomb  dropped  a  few  minutes  ago 
and  killed  or  wounded  seven  fellows.  The  ambulance  just 
took  them  away." 

However,  as  they  did  not  know  where  else  to  go  they 
went  into  Breteuil,  and  found  the  village  deserted  of  all 
but  French  and  American  Military  Police.  They  tried  to  get 
directions,  and  at  last  found  a  French  mule  team  to  take 
them  to  La  Folie,  where  they  finally  arrived  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning. 

The  next  day  they  went  on  to  Tartigny,  where  they  were 
to  be  located  for  a  time. 

One  of  the  lassies  left  her  sister  with  the  canteen  one 
day  and  started  out  with  another  Officer  to  the  Divisional 
Gas  Officer  to  get  a  new  gas  mask,  for  something  had  hap- 
pened to  hers.  As  they  reached  a  crossroads  a  boy  on  a 
wheel  called  out :  "  Oh,  they're  shelling  the  road !  Pull 
into  the  village  quick !  " 

When  they  arrived  in  the  village  there  was  a  great  shell 
just  fallen  in  the  very  centre  of  the  town.  The  girl  thought 
of  her  sister  all  alone  in  the  canteen,  for  the  shells  were 
falling  everywhere  now,  and  they  started  to  take  a  short 
cut  back  to  Tartigny,  but  the  Military  Police  stopped  them, 
saying  they  couldn't  go  on  that  road  in  the  daytime  as  it 
was  under  observation,  so  they  had  to  go  back  by  the  road 
they  had  come.  The  canteen  was  at  the  gateway  of  a 
chateau,  and  when  they  reached  there  they  saw  the  shells 
falling  in  the  chateau  yard  and  through  the  glass  roof  of 
the  canteen.  It  was  a  trying  time  for  the  two  brave  girls. 

They  had  been  invited  out  to  dinner  that  evening  at  the 
Officers'  Mess.  As  a  rule,  they  did  not  go  much  among  the 
officers,  but  this  was  a  special  invitation.  The  shells  had 
been  falling  all  the  afternoon,  but  they  were  quite  accus- 
tomed to  shells  and  that  did  not  stop  the  festivities.  Dur- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  155 

ing  the  dinner  the  soldier  boys  sang  and  played  on  guitars 
and  banjos.  But  when  the  dinner  was  over  they  asked 
the  girls  to  sing. 

It  was  very  still  in  the  mess  hall  as  the  two  lovely 
lassies  took  their  guitars  and  began  to  sing.  There  was 
something  so  strong  and  sweet  and  pure  in  the  glance  of 
their  blue  eyes,  the  set  of  their  firm  little  chins,  so  pleas- 
ant and  wholesome  and  merry  in  the  very  curve  of  their 
lips,  that  the  men  were  hushed  with  respect  and  admiration 
before  this  highest  of  all  types  of  womanhood. 

It  was  a  song  written  by  their  Commander  that  the  girls 
had  chosen,  with  a  sweet,  touching  melody,  and  the  singers 
made  every  word  clear  and  distinct : 

Bowed  beneath  the  garden  shades, 
Where  the  Eastern,  sunlight  fades, 
Through  a  sea  of  griefs  He  wades, 

And  prays  in  agony. 
His  sweat  is  of  blood, 
His  tears  like  a  flood 

For  a  lost  world  flow  down. 
I  never  knew  such  tears  could  be — 
Those  tears  He  wept  for  me! 

Hung  upon  a  rugged  tree 
On  the  hill  of  Calvary, 
Jesus  suffered  death,  to  be 

The  Saviour  of  mankind. 
His  brow  pierced  by  thorn, 
His  hands  and  feet  torn, 

With  broken  heart  He  died. 
I  never  knew  such  pain  could  be, 
This  pain  He  bore  for  me! 

Suddenly  crashing  into  the  midst  of  the  melody  came  a 
great  shell,  exploding  just  outside  the  door  and  causing 
everyone  at  the  table  to  spring  to  his  feet.  The  singers 
stopped  for  a  second,  wavered,  as  the  reverberation  of  the 


156  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

shock  died  away,  and  then  went  on  with  their  song;  and 
the  officers,  abashed,  wondering,  dropped  back  into  their 
seats  marvelling  at  the  calmness  of  these  frail  women  in 
the  face  of  death.  Surely  they  had  something  that  other 
women  did  not  have  to  enable  them  to  sing  so  unconcern- 
edly in  such  a  time  as  this ! 

Love  which  conquered  o'er  death's  sting, 
Love  which  has  immortal  wing, 
Love  which  is  the  only  thing 

My  broken  heart  to  heal. 
It  burst  through  the  grave, 
It  brought  grace  to  save, 

It  opened  Heaven's  gate. 
I  never  knew  such  love  could  be — 

This  love  He  gave  to  me! 

It  needs  some  special  experience  to  appreciate  what  Sal- 
vation Army  lassies  really  are,  and  what  they  have  done. 
They  are  not  just  any  good  sort  of  girl  picked  up  here  and 
there  who  are  willing  to  go  and  like  the  excitement  of  the 
experience;  neither  are  they  common  illiterate  girls  who 
merely  have  ordinary  good  sense  and  a  will  to  work.  The 
majority  of  them  in  France  are  fine,  well-bred,  carefully 
reared  daughters  of  Christian  fathers  and  mothers  who 
have  taught  them  that  the  home  is  a  little  bit  of  heaven  on 
earth,  and  a  woman  God's  means  of  drawing  man  nearer  to 
Him.  They  have  been  especially  trained  from  childhood 
to  forget  self  and  to  live  for  others.  The  great  slogan  of 
the  Salvation  Army  is  "  Others."  Did  you  ever  stop  to 
think  how  that  would  take  the  coquetry  out  of  a  girl's 
eyes,  and  leave  the  sweet  simplicity  of  the  natural  unspoiled 
soul  ?  We  have  come  to  associate  such  a  look  with  a  plain, 
homely  face,  a  dull  complexion,  careless,  severe  hair-dress- 
ing and  unbeautiful  clothes.  Why? 

Eighteousness  from  babyhood  has  given  to  these  girls 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  157 

delicate  beautiful  features,  clear  complexions  that  neither 
faded  nor  had  to  be  renewed  in  the  thick  of  battle,  eyes 
that  seemed  flecked  with  divine  lights  and  could  dance  with 
mirth  on  occasion  or  soften  exquisitely  in  sympathy,  fur- 
tive dimples  that  twinkled  out  now  and  then;  hands  that 
were  shapely  and  did  not  seem  made  for  toil.  Yet  for  all 
that  they  toiled  night  and  day  for  the  soldiers.  They  were 
educated,  refined,  cultured,  could  talk  easily  and  well  on 
almost  any  subject  you  would  mention.  They  never  ap- 
peared to  force  their  religious  views  to  the  front,  yet  all 
the  while  it  was  perfectly  evident  that  their  religion  was 
the  main  object  of  their  lives;  that  this  was  the  secret 
source  of  strength,  the  great  reason  for  their  deep  joy,  and 
abiding  calm  in  the  face  of  calamities;  that  this  was  the 
one  great  purpose  in  life  which  overtopped  and  conquered 
all  other  desires.  And  if  you  would  break  through  their 
sweet  reserve  and  ask  them  they  would  tell  you  that  Jesus 
and  the  winning  of  souls  to  Him  was  their  one  and  only 
ambition. 

And  yet  they  have  not  let  these  great  things  keep  them 
from  the  pleasant  little  details  of  life.  Even  in  the  olive 
drab  flannel  shirt  and  serge  skirt  of  their  uniform,  or  in 
their  trim  serge  coats,  the  exact  counterpart  of  the  sol- 
dier boy's,  except  for  its  scarlet  epaulets,  and  the  little 
close  trench  hat  with  its  scarlet  shield  and  silver  lettering, 
they  are  beautiful  and  womanly.  Catch  them  with  the  coat 
off  and  a  great  khaki  apron  enveloping  the  rest  of  their 
uniform,  and  you  never  saw  lovelier  women.  No  wonder 
the  boys  loved  to  see  them  working  about  the  hut,  loved  to 
carry  water  and  pick  up  the  dishes  for  washing,  and  peel 
apples,  and  scrape  out  the  bowl  after  the  cake  batter  had 
been  turned  into  the  pans.  No  wonder  they  came  to  these 
girls  with  their  troubles,  or  a  button  that  needed  sewing  on, 


158  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

and  rushed  to  them  first  with  the  glad  news  that  a  letter 
had  come  from  home  even  before  they  had  opened  it.  These 
girls  were  real  women,  the  kind  of  woman  God  meant  us 
all  to  be  when  He  made  the  first  one ;  the  kind  of  woman 
who  is  a  real  helpmeet  for  all  the  men  with  whom  she  comes 
in  contact,  whether  father,  brother,  friend  or  lover,  or  merely 
an  acquaintance.  There  is  a  fragrance  of  spirit  that 
breathes  in  the  very  being,  the  curve  of  the  cheek,  the 
glance  of  the  eye,  the  grace  of  a  movement,  the  floating  of  a 
sunny  strand  of  hair  in  the  light,  the  curve  of  the  firm  red 
lips  that  one  knows  at  a  glance  will  have  no  compromise 
with  evil.  This  is  what  these  girls  have. 

You  may  call  it  what  you  will,  but  as  I  think  of  them  I 
am  again  reminded  of  that  verse  in  the  Bible  about  those 
brave  and  wonderful  disciples :  "  And  they  took  knowledge 
of  them  that  they  had  been  with  Jesus." 

Two  of  the  Salvation  Army  men  went  back  to  Mesnil- 
St.-Firmin  the  day  after  the  lassies  had  been  obliged  to 
leave,  to  get  some  of  their  belongings  which  they  had  not 
been  able  to  take  with  them,  and  one  of  them,  a  Salvation 
Army  Major,  stayed  to  keep  the  place  open  for  the  boys. 
He  was  the  only  Salvation  Army  man  who  is  entitled  to 
wear  a  wound  stripe.  By  his  devotion  to  duty,  self -sacrifice, 
and  contempt  of  danger,  he  won  the  confidence  of  the  men 
wherever  he  was.  He  chiefly  worked  alone  and  operated  a 
canteen  usually  in  a  dugout  at  the  front. 

On  one  occasion  a  soldier  was  badly  wounded  at  the 
door  of  a  hut,  by  an  exploding  gas-shell.  He  fell  into  the 
dugout  and  while  the  Major  worked  over  him,  the  Major 
himself  was  gassed  and  had  to  be  removed  to  the  rear  and 
undergo  hospital  treatment.  For  this  service  he  was 
awarded  a  wound  stripe.  During  the  St.  Mihiel  offensive 
he  was  appointed  in  the  Toul  Sector  and  followed  up  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  159 

advancing  soldiers,  and  later  was  active  in  the  Argonne. 
He  is  essentially  a  front-line  man  and  always  takes  the 
greatest  satisfaction  in  being  in  the  place  of  most  danger. 

The  following  is  a  brief  excerpt  from  his  diary  when  he 
manned  the  dugout  hut  in  Coullemelle : 

May  12. 

"  Arrived  in  Coullemelle  Sunday  night,  May  12.  Was 
busy  with  my  work  by  mid-day,  Monday,  13.  After  clean- 
ing our  dugout,  gave  medicine  to  sick  man,  who  refused 
to  sJeep  in  my  bed  because  he  was  not  fit.  However,  I  made 
him  feel  fine,  helped.  I  had  a  long  talk  with  the  boys. 

Tuesday,  14:  Shell  struck  opposite  to  dugout  and  sent 
tiles  down  steps.  The  Captain  of  E  Battery  visited  me 
to-day,  and  then  I  visited  the  Battery  and  had  chow  with 
them.  Airplane  fight:  while  batteries  were  roaring,  the 
Germans  came  down  in  flames. 

Wednesday,  15:  No  coming  to  dugout  in  the  day-time 
on  account  of  shelling.  I  did  good  business  in  the  evening 
and  also  had  long  services  by  request  of  the  boys.  Received 
a  letter  from  B here  to-day,  I  slept  good. 

Thursday,  16:  I  visited  army,  the  officers  and  men 
of  F  Battery.  Their  chow  kitchen  is  in  a  bad  place,  all 
men  coming  down  sick.  I  had  an  arrangement  with  the 
doughboys  that  they  might  come  in  my  dugout  any  hour 
in  the  night,  whenever  they  wanted.  I  visited  infantry 
officers  to-day,  Capt.  Cribbs  and  Capt.  Crisp,  I  had  a  lovely 
talk  with  them.  I  offered  to  go  to  the  trenches  with  my 
goods,  but  Capt.  Cribbs  said  I  would  just  be  killed  without 
doing  what  he  knew  I  wanted  to  do,  namely,  serve  the  boys 
with  food  and  encourage  them. 

Friday,  17:  I  was  startled  by  a  fearful  barrage  at  four 
o'clock  when  I  got  up,  washed  my  clothes :  was  visited  by  the 


160  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  Secretary :  was  shelled  from  five  o'clock  till  ten 
o'clock.  I  went  for  chow  and  found  shell  ball  gone  through 
kitchen.  High  explosive,  black  smoke  shells  bursting  in- 
termittently, tiles  fell  into  my  dugout.  I  took  pick  shovel 
in  with  me ;  my  kitten  ran  away  but  came  back.  A  three- 
legged  cat  came  to  the  ruined  home  where  I  am;  its  leg 
evidently  had  been  cut  off  by  shrapnel.  Great  air  fight  all 
day.  Incendiary  shells  were  fired  into  the  town  and  burnt 
for  a  long  time.  I  visited  Battery  F,  and  gave  the  fellows 
medicine.  To-day  'both  officers  and  men  were  in  the  gun 
pits  and  I  with  them,  while  they  were  deviling  with  Fritzy. 
Big  business  in  evening  with  long  service,  gave  out  Testa- 
ments and  held  service  in  dugout;  got  a  Frenchman  to 
interpret  the  scripture  to  his  comrades.  Bequests  for 
prayer.  Doughboys  came  in  12 :  30,  through  a  barrage,  and 
got  sixty-five  bars  of  chocolate,  others  got  biscuits.  I  am 
very,  very  tired ;  artillery  is  roaring  as  I  go  to  sleep. 

Saturday,  18:  Capt.  Cribbs  came  down  to  dugout  and 
said  he  was  worried  to  death  over  me  (thought  I  was  killed) . 
I  assured  him  I  was  all  0.  K.,  and  that  it  was  their  end  of 
the  town  that  needed  looking  after.  He  laughed  and  en- 
joyed it.  My  supplies  are  kept  up  by  the  courage  and 
devotion  of  the  Staff-Captain  and  Billy,  who,  taking  their 
lives  in  their  hands,  bring  the  Ford  with  supplies  along 
the  shell-torn  road  at  great  peril.  Capt.  Corliss  also  came. 

During  the  day,  the  officer  of  Battery  F  wanted  the 
Victrola  and  got  the  use  of  it  in  their  dugout  for  three 
days.  In  the  meantime  I  had  furnished  Battery  D  the 
use  of  the  Victrola  and  the  day  I  made  the  promise,  I 
found  the  boys  without  chow  for  twelve  hours.  When 
about  to  serve  it,  the  town  was  gassed  and  their  food  with 
it  and  no  one  was  permitted  to  touch  a  thing,  they  were 
blessing  the  Kaiser  as  only  soldiers  can  under  such  cir- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  161 

cumstances.  When  I  arrived  among  them,  after  finding 
out  the  way  of  things,  I  suggested  to  the  officers  that  I 
should  be  permitted  to  supply  them  with  euch  food  as  I 
had.  They  assured  me  it  would  be  a  mighty  good  thing 
for  them  if  I  would,  and  I  took  four  boxes  of  biscuits  and 
six  pots  of  jam  and  other  things  to  their  trench  in  the  rear 
of  their  batteries — they  surely  thought  I  was  an  angel  and 
I  left  them  pretty  happy.  This  was  all  done  under  fire  and 
at  great  risk.  I  chowed  with  Battery  E  and  saw  shell  hole 
through  building  which  was  new  since  my  last  visit — 
boys  offer  to  teach  me  how  to  work  gun,  their  spirit  is  won- 
derful under  the  terrific  strain  which  they  labor.  I  vis- 
ited ruined  church  and  went  inside ;  here  were  some  gravei 
of  the  French  soldiers,  some  of  the  bodies  being  exposed. 
Could  not  stay  very  long.  Overtook  soldier-boy  limping, 
got  him  to  stay  awhile  and  gave  him  hot  chocolate ;  persuaded 
him  to  let  his  limb  be  seen  to,  which  he  did,  and  was  sent 
to  hospital.  I  visited  hospital  corps-fellows  and  arranged 
that  in  case  of  gas,  they  would  visit  and  rouse  me  at  night. 
They  are  fine  fellows.  Doughboys  bought  lots  of  goods 
and  blessed  the  Salvation  Army  a  thousand  times.  These 
lads  come  in  from  the  trenches  and  have  some  hair-raising 
stories  to  tell. 

Sunday,  19:  Quiet  till  the  afternoon  when  a  gas  bar- 
rage started.  I  was  driven  out  of  my  dugout.  I  had  a 
narrow  escape,  while  reaching  the  hospital  corps  dugout. 
Lieut.  Roolan  (since  promoted),  of  the  Fifth  Field  Artil- 
lery, was  there  for  two  hours  and  half.  480  shells,  I  was 
informed,  came  down,  averaging  up  three  and  four  per 
minute.  All  night,  from  6  o'clock  to  3  A.M.,  3000  shells  are 
sent  into  the  town.  I  slept  in  the  Headquarters  Signal 
Corps  dugout  with  my  gas  mask  on  all  night. 

Monday,  20:  Visited  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  found  th«ir  dug- 
11 


162  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

out  had  been  struck  and  the  Secretary's  eyes  were  gassed 
after  a  man  took  his  place.  I  saw  Colonel  Crane  to  try 
and  get  out  of  my  dugout  and  get  the  one  he  had  left. 
He  gave  me  permission,  assuring  me  that  it  was  not  a 
yery  good  one  at  that.  I  took  my  Victrola  with  two  of  the 
battery  boys  from  F  Battery.  I  carried  the  records  and 
they  the  VictroJa.  We  dodged  the  shelling  all  the  way 
and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  the  "  Swanee  Eiver  " 
song  at  the  same  time  as  the  firing  of  the  big  guns  much  to 
the  enjoyment  of  the  boys.  I  understand  that  General 
Summerall  visited  and  heard  the  Victrola  soon  after  I  had 
taken  it  to  the  boys.  I  placed  about  fifty  books  among 
officers  of  the  Hospital  Corps,  Infantry  officers,  Battery 
officers.  They  were  highly  appreciated.  I  slept  with  Sig- 
nal Corps  boys  again  as  Fritzy  decided  to  continue  the  bom- 
bardment of  the  town  which  he  did  from  5.30  P.M.  to  5.30 
A.M.  I  slept  with  mask  on  and  had  no  ill  effects  of  the  gas 
at  all  so  far;  but  about  five  o'clock  a  terrific  crash  just  out- 
eide  of  my  dugout  followed  by  a  man  shouting  as  he  rushed 
down  the  dugout  steps,  "  Oh,  God,  get  me  to  the  doctor 
right  away/'  That  shell  nearly  got  me.  I  was  only  eight 
feet  from  it.  I  sprung  up  and  rushed  him  from  the  dug- 
out over  to  the  hospital.  I  had  to  chase  around  from  one 
•dugout  to  another  and  finally  landed  my  man  (hig  name 
was  Harry),  who  was  taken  to  the  hospital. 

Tuesday,  21:  After  taking  the  man  to  the  doctor,  I 
went  to  my  own  place  and  found  a  nine-inch  gas  shrapnel 
shell  had  burst  15  or  20  feet  from  my  dugout,  about  fifteen 
holes  were  torn  through  the  door,  the  top  of  the  shell  lay 
six  feet  from  the  top  of  the  steps,  pieces  of  the  shell  were 
scattered  down  the  steps,  and  my  dugout  to  the  gas  cur- 
tain, was  full  of  gas.  If  Staff-Captain  and  Billy  had  been 
visiting  me  that  night,  the  shell  would  have  hit  the  Ford 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  163 

right  in  the  center.  Fierce  bombardment  all  the  day. 
Houses  were  struck  on  the  entire  street  from  end  to  end. 
Shells  fell  in  the  yard,  one  struck  the  corner  of  the  house. 
The  soldiers  next  door  have  gone,  and  my  place  can  only 
be  opened  in  the  evenings.  Things  are  pretty  hot,  I  started 
out  visiting  the  batteries  to-day,  but  was  driven  back  and 
could  get  out  only  by  the  back  entrance  to  the  yard.  I 
am  told  by  a  soldier  of  the  Intelligence  Dept.,  that  their 
bombardment  is  what  is  known  as  a  "  Million-Dollar  Bar- 
rage," and  that  all  were  fortunate  to  have  passed  through 
it,  he  also  told  me  the  number  and  nature  of  the  shells. 
I  served  hot  chocolate  this  Tuesday  night  and  noticed  that 
my  hands  were  very  red. 

Wednesday,  22:  I  visited  the  Battery  in  their  trenches 
again  and  took  them  food.  My  eyes  are  affected  by  the  gas, 
and  I  got  treatment  at  the  Evacuating  Hospital.  Some 
shells  come  very  close  to  my  dugout — to-day  thirty  feet, 
fifty  feet  and  twenty  feet.  I  gather  up  a  box  full  of  rem- 
nants. I  find  I  am  gassed  by  a  contact  with  the  poor  fel- 
low coming  in  whom  I  took  to  the  doctor.  I  get  treatment 
two  or  three  times  for  my  eyes  and  throat.  My  hands  be- 
gin to  crack  and  smart.  The  flesh  comes  off  from  my  neck 
and  other  parts  of  my  body.  I  had  a  fine  meeting  with 
boys  in  dugout  and  am  again  visited  by  the  doughboys  and 
officers.  I  visit  the  ruined  church  area  again  and  get  a 
few  relics. 

Thursday,  S3:  My  eyes  are  very  red  and  becoming  pain- 
ful and  also  my  throat  and  nose,  etc.  I  plan  to  move  my 
dugout  and  pack  up  accordingly.  Things  are  quieter  to- 
iay;  had  services  again  in  the  evening.  French  school- 
master among  the  number,  six  requests  for  prayer. 

Friday,  £4-'  Am  all  ready  to  move  to  a  new  dugout 
when  Staff-Captain  arrives  and  tells  me  I  am  ordered  out 
by  the  military." 


164  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Here  is  the  Military   Order  received   by  the   Staff- 
Captain  : 
"  To  Major  Coe, 
"  Salvation  Army : 

"(1)  Major  Wilson,  Chief  Gl,  directs  that  the  Salva- 
tion Army  evacuate  '  Coullemelle '  as  soon  as  possible. 

"(2)  He  desires  that  they  leave  to-night  if  possible. 

"(3)  This  message  was  received  by  me  from  the  office 

of  Gl. 

"L.  JOHNSON, 

"1st  Lieut.,  F.  A." 

Orders  also  arrived  soon  for  the  removal  of  the  Salvation 
Army  workers  in  Broyes : 

"  Headquarters,  1st  Division, 

€r-l.  "American  Expeditionary  Forces, 

"  June  3,  1919. 

"Memorandum:  To  Mr.  L.  A.  Coe,  Salvation  Army,  La 
Folie. 

"  The  hut,  which  it  is  understood  the  Salvation  Army 
is  operating1  in  Broyes,  will,  for  military  reasons,  be  re- 
moved from  there  as  soon  as  practicable. 

"  It  is  contrary  to  the  desire  of  the  Commanding  Gen- 
eral that  women  workers  be  employed  in  huts  or  canteens 
east  of  the  line  Mory-Chepoix-Tartigny,  and  if  any  are 
now  so  located  they  are  to  'be  removed. 

"  The  operations  of  technical  services,  Eed  Cross,  Y. 
M.  C.  A.,  and  other  similar  agencies  is  a  function  of  this 
section  of  the  General  Staff  and  all  questions  pertaining 
to  your  movements  and  location  of  huts  should  in  the  future 
be  referred  to  G.-l. 

"  By  command  of  Major  General  Bullard. 

«0.  K  WILSON, 
"  Major,  General  Staff, 
«A.  C.  of  S.,  G.-l." 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  165 

In  Tartigny  they  found  a  house  with  five  rooms,  one 
of  them  very  large.  The  billeting  officer  turned  this  over 
to  the  Salvation  Army. 

There  was  plenty  of  space  and  the  girls  might  hare  a 
room  to  themselves  here,  instead  of  just  curtaining  off 
a  corner  of  a  tent  or  making  a  partition  of  supply  boxes 
in  one  end  of  the  hut  as  they  often  had  to  do.  There  waa 
also  plenty  of  furniture  in  the  house,  and  they  were  allowed 
to  go  around  the  village  and  get  chairs  and  tables  or  any- 
thing they  wanted  to  fix  up  their  canteen.  The  girls  had 
great  fun  selecting  easy-chairs  and  desks  and  anything  they 
desired  from  the  deserted  houses,  and  before  long  the  re- 
sult was  a  wonderfully  comfortable,  cozy,  home-like  room. 

"  Gee !  This  is  just  like  heaven,  coming  in  here !  "  one 
of  the  boys  said  when  he  first  saw  it. 

Just  outside  Tartigny  there  was  a  large  ammunition 
dump,  piles  of  shells  and  boxes  of  other  ammunition.  It 
was  under  the  trees  and  well  camouflaged,  but  night  after 
night  the  enemy  airplanes  kept  trying  to  get  it.  The  girls 
used  to  sit  in  the  windows  and  watch  the  airplane  battles. 
They  would  stay  until  an  airplane  got  over  the  house  and 
then  they  would  run  to  the  cellar.  They  came  so  close  one 
night  that  pieces  of  shell  from  the  anti-aircraft  guns  fell 
over  the  house. 

Sometimes  the  airplanes  would  come  in  the  daytime, 
and  the  girls  got  into  the  habit  of  running  out  into  the 
street  to  watch  them.  But  at  this  the  boys  protested. 

"  Don't  do  that,  you  will  get  hit ! "  they  begged.  And 
one  day  the  nose  of  an  unexploded  shell  fell  in  the  street 
just  outside  the  door.  After  that  they  were  more  careful. 

In  this  town  one  afternoon  a  whole  truck-load  of 
oranges  arrived,  being  three  hundred  crates,  four  hundred 
oranges  to  a  crate,  for  the  canteen,  and  they  were  all  gone 
by  four  o'clock! 


166  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  Headquarters  of  the  Division  Commander  were  in 
a  beautiful  old  stone  chateau  of  a  peculiar  color  that  seemed 
to  be  invisible  to  the  airplanes.  There  were  woods  all 
around  it  and  the  house  was  never  shelled.  It  was  filled 
with  rare  old  tapestries  and  beautiful  furniture. 

The  Count  who  owned  the  chateau  asked  the  Major 
General  to  get  some  furniture  that  belonged  to  him  out  of 
the  village  that  was  being  shelled.  Later  the  Count  asked 
the  General  if  he  ever  got  that  furniture.  The  General 
asked  his  Colonel,  "  What  did  you  do  with  that  furniture  ?  " 
"  Oh,"  the  Colonel  said,  "  it's  down  there  all  right !"  "  And 
where  is  the  piano?"  "  Oh,  I  gave  that  to  the  Salvation 
Army." 

In  this  area  it  was  one  lassie's  first  bombardment;  it 
came  suddenly  and  without  warning.  The  soldiers  in  the 
•hut  decamped  without  ceremony  for  the  safety  of  their 
dugouts.  One  soldier  who  had  been  detailed  to  help  the 
lassie,  shouted :  "  Come  on !  Follow  me  to  your  dugout !  " 
Without  further  talk  he  turned  and  started  for  cover.  The 
girl  had  been  baking.  A  tray  full  of  luscious  lemon  cream 
pies  stood  on  the  table.  She  did  not  want  to  leave  those 
pies  to  the  tender  mercies  of  a  shell.  Also  she  had  some 
new  boots  standing  beneath  the  table,  and  she  was  not  going 
to  lose  those.  Without  stopping  to  think,  she  seized  the 
ehoee  in  one  hand  and  the  tray  in  the  other  and  rushed 
after  the  soldier.  A  little  gully  had  to  be  crossed  on  the 
way  to  the  dugout  and  the  only  bridge  was  a  twelve-inch 
plank.  The  soldier  crossed  in  safety  and  turned  to  look 
after  the  girl.  Just  as  she  reached  the  middle  of  the  plank 
a  shell  burst  not  far  away.  The  lassie  was  so  startled  that 
she  nearly  lost  her  balance,  swaying  first  one  way  and  then 
the  other.  In  an  attempt  to  stop  the  tray  of  pies  from 
slipping,  she  almost  lost  the  shoes,  and  in  recovering  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  167 

shoes,  the  pies  just  escaped  sliding  overboard  into  the 
thick  mud  below. 

The  soldier  registered  deep  agitation. 

"Drop  the  shoes!"  he  shouted.  "I  can  clean  the 
shoes,  but  for  heaven's  sake  don't  drop  them  pies !  "  And 
the  lassie  obeyed  meekly. 

In  the  little  town  of  Bonnet  where  the  rest  room  was 
located  in  an  old  barn  connected  with  a  Catholic  convent, 
one  Salvation  Army  Envoy  and  his  wife  from  Texas  be- 
gan their  work.  They  soon  became  known  to  the  soldiers 
familiarly  as  «  Pa  "  and  "  Ma." 

It  was  in  this  old  barn  that  the  tent  top,  later  made 
famous  at  Ansauville,  was  first  used.  Stoves  were  almost 
impossible  to  obtain  at  that  time,  but  "  Ma "  was  deter- 
mined that  she  would  bake  pies  for  the  men,  so  the  Envoy 
constructed  an  oven  out  of  two  tin  cake  boxes  tand  using 
a  small  two-burner  gasoline  stove,  "Ma"  baked  biscuits 
and  pies  that  made  her  name  famous.  Through  her  great 
motherly  heart  and  her  willingness  to  serve  the  boys  at 
all  times,  under  all  circumstances,  she  won  their  confidence 
and  love.  One  soldier  said  he  would  walk  five  miles  any 
day  to  look  into  "  Ma's  "  gray  eyes. 

From  Bonnet  they  were  transferred  to  command  a  hut 
at  Ansauville,  but  "  Ma  "  could  never  rest  so  long  as  there 
was  a  soldier  to  be  served  in  any  way.  She  worked  early 
and  late,  and  she  made  each  individual  soldier  who  came 
to  the  hut  her  special  charge  as  if  he  were  her  own  son. 
She  could  not  sleep  when  they  were  going  over  the  top 
unless  ehe  prayed  with  each  one  before  he  went. 

The  meetings  which  she  and  her  husband  held  were 
full  of  life  and  power  and  were  never  neglected,  no  mat- 
ter how  hard  the  strain  might  be  from  other  lines  of 
service. 


168  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

It  was  not  long  before  t(  Ma's  "  strength  gave  out  and 
it  was  necessary  to  move  her  to  a  quieter  place.  She  was 
transferred  to  Houdelainecourt.  She  would  not  go  until 
they  carried  her  away. 

Houdelainecourt  at  this  time  was  on  the  main  road 
travelled  by  trucks,  taking  supplies  by  train  from  the  rail- 
road at  Gondrecourt  to  the  front.  Truck  drivers  invariably 
made  it  a  point  to  stop  at  "  Ma's  "  hut  and  here  they  were 
always  sure  to  receive  a  welcome  and  the  most  delicious 
doughnuts  and  pies  and  hot  biscuit  which  loving  hands 
could  make. 

Not  satisfied  with  this  service  alone,  she  undertook  to 
fry  pancakes  for  the  officers'  breakfast.  It  was  through 
these  kindly  services,  ungrudgingly  done,  at  any  time  of  the 
day  or  night,  that  her  name  was  established  as  one  of  the 
most  potent  factors  in  contributing  to  the  comfort  and 
welfare  of  the  men,  and  there  was  no  hole  or  tear  of  the 
men's  clothes  that  "  Ma  "  could  not  mend. 

A  short  time  after  the  pie  contest  over  at  Gondrecourt, 
"Ma"  and  one  of  her  lassie  helpers  set  out  to  break  the 
record  of  316  pies  as  a  day's  work.  Their  oven  would  hold 
but  six  pies  at  a  time ;  their  hut  had  but  just  been  opened 
and  all  their  equipment  had  not  yet  arrived,  so  they  were 
short  a  rolling  pin,  which  had  to  be  carved  from  a  broken 
wagon-shaft  with  a  jack-knife  before  they  could  begin ;  but 
they  achieved  the  baking  of  324  pies  between  6  A.M.  and 
6  P.M.  that  day.  It  is  fair  to  state  for  the  sake  of  the 
doubter,  however,  that  the  pie  fillers,  both  pumpkin  and 
apple,  were  all  prepared  and  piping  hot  on  the  stove  ready 
to  be  poured  into  the  pastry  as  it  was  put  into  the  oven, 
which,  of  course,  helped  a  good  deal. 

A  sign  was  put  out  announcing  that  pie  would  be  served 
at  seven  o'clock,  but  the  lines  formed  long  before  that. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  169 

The  pies  were  unusually  large  and  cut  into  fifths,  but  even 
at  that  they  were  much  larger  pieces  than  are  usually 
served  at  the  ordinary  restaurant. 

By  half-past  eight  some  men  were  falling  in  for  a  sec- 
ond helping,  but  "  Ma "  had  been  watching  long  a  little 
company  of  men  off  to  one  side  who  hovered  about  yet 
never  dropped  into  line  themselves,  and  made  up  her 
mind  that  these  were  some  of  those  who  perhaps  sent  much 
of  their  money  home  and  found  it  a  long  time  between 
pay-days.  Casting  her  kindly  eye  comprehendingly  toward 
these  men  she  mounted  a  chair  and  requested: 

"  All  of  the  men  who  have  already  had  pie,  please  step 
out  of  the  line ;  and  all  of  those  boys  who  want  coffee  and 
pie  but  have  no  money,  step  into  line  and  get  some, 
anyhow!" 

She  gave  the  boys  one  of  her  beautiful  motherly  smiles 
and  that  made  them  feel  they  had  all  got  home,  and  they 
hesitated  no  longer.  "  Ma,"  however,  was  more  deeply  in- 
terested in  her  meetings  than  in  mere  pie.  The  Sunday 
before  this  contest  over  five  hundred  soldiers  had  attended 
the  evening  meeting,  and  almost  as  many  had  been  pres- 
ent at  the  morning  service.  Also,  there  had  been  twenty- 
eight  members  added  to  her  Bible  class.  Though  the  hut 
was  a  large  one  it  had  been  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity 
in  the  evening,  with  men  packed  into  the  open  doorways 
and  windows  on  either  side,  and  forty  of  the  men  who  an- 
nounced their  determination  to  follow  Christ  that  night 
could  not  get  inside  to  come  forward.  More  than  a  dozen 
gave  personal  testimony  of  what  Christ  had  done  for  them. 
One  notable  testimony  was  as  follows : 

"  I  used  to  be  a  hard  guy  fellers,"  he  said,  u  and  maybe 
I  had  some  good  reasons  when  I  used  to  say  that  nothing  was 
ever  going  to  scare  me,  but  when  we  lay  out  there  with  a  six- 


170  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

hour  barrage  busting  right  in  front  of  us  and  ( arrivals ' 
busting  all  around  us,  I  did  a  whole  lot  of  thinking.  It 
seemed  as  though  every  shell  had  my  number  on  it !  And 
•when  we  went  over  and  ran  square  into  their  barrage,  I'll 
admit  I  was  scared  yellow  arid  was  darned  afraid  I  was- 
going  to  show  it !  We  were  under  a  barrage  for  ten  hours. 
A  shell  buried  me  under  about  a  foot  of  earth,  and  for  the 
first  time  I  can  remember,  while  my  bunkie  was  digging 
me  out,  I  prayed  to  God.  And  I  want  to  say  that  I  believe 
He  answered  my  prayer,  and  that  is  the  only  reason  I  came 
out  uninjured.  I  promised  if  I  got  out  I'd  call  for  a  new 
deal,  and  I  want  to  say  that  I'm  going  to  keep  that 
promise ! " 

A  boy  who  had  been  converted  in  one  of  the  meetings  a 
few  nights  before  came  into  the  hut  and  sought  her  out. 
He  told  her  he  was  going  over  the  top  that  night,  and  he 
had  something  he  wanted  to  confess  before  he  went.  He 
had  told  a  lie  and  he  had  felt  terrible  remorse  about  it  ever 
since  he  was  converted.  He  had  treated  his  mother  badly, 
and  gone  and  enlisted,  saying  he  was  eighteen  when  he 
was  only  sixteen.  "  Now,"  said  he  with  relief  after  he  had 
told  the  story,  "  that's  all  clear.  And  say,  if  I'm  killed, 
will  you  go  through  my  pockets  and  find  my  Testament 
and  send  it  to  mother?  And  will  you  tell  my  mother  all 
about  it  and  tell  her  it  is  all  right  with  me  now?  Tell 
mother  I  went  over  the  top  a  Christian.  You'll  know  what 
to  say  to  her  to  help  her  bear  up." 

She  promised  and  the  boy  went  away  content.  That 
night  he  was  killed,  and,  true  to  her  promise,  she  went 
through  his  pockets  when  he  was  brought  back,  and  found 
the  little  Testament  close  over  his  heart ;  and  in  it  a  verse 
was  marked  for  his  mother: 

"  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin." 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  171 

During  the  early  days  of  the  Salvation  Army  work  in 
Prance,  while  the  work  was  still  under  inspection  as  to  its 
influence  on  the  men,  and  one  Colonel  had  sent  a  Captain 
around  to  the  meetings  to  report  upon  them  to  him, 
"Ma's"  was  one  of  the  meetings  to  which  the  Captain 
came. 

She  did  not  know  that  she  was  under  suspicion,  but 
that  night  she  spoke  on  obedience  and  discipline,  taking 
las  her  text :  "  Take  heed  to  the  law,"  and  urging  the  men 
to  obey  both  moral  and  military  laws  so  that1  they  might 
be  better  men  and  better  soldiers.  The  Captain  reported 
on  her  sermon  and  said  that  he  wished  the  regiment  had 
a  Salvation  Army  chaplain  for  every  company. 

The  hospital  visitation  work  was  started  by  "  Ma  "  in 
the  Paris  hospitals  while  she  was  in  that  city  for  several 
months  regaining  her  strength  after  a  physical  break-down 
at  the  front.  She  was  idolized  by  the  wounded.  If  she 
walked  along  any  hospital  passageway  or  through  any  ward, 
a  crowd  of  men  were  sure  to  call  her  by  name.  They  knew 
her  as  "  Ma,"  and  frequently,  overworked  nurses  have  called 
up  the  Paris  Salvation  Army  Headquarters  asking  if  Ma 
could  not  find  time  to  come  down  and  sit  with  a  dying  boy 
who  was  calling  for  her.  She  observed  their  birthdays 
with  books  and  other  small  presents,  wrote  to  their  mothers, 
wives  and  sweethearts,  and  performed  a  multitude  of  in- 
valuable, precious  little  services  of  love.  For  weeks  after 
she  left  Paris,  returning  to  the  front,  the  wounded  called 
for  her.  She  is  one  of  the  outstanding  figures  of  the  Salva- 
tion Army's  work  with  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces 
in  France.  She  is  indelibly  enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  hun- 
dreds of  American  soldiers. 

A  Salvation  Army  lassie  bent  over  the  bed  of  a  wounded 
boy  recently  arrived  in  the  Paris  hospital  from  the  front, 
and  gave  him  an  orange  and  a  little  sack  of  candy. 


172  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"I  know  the  Salvation  Army/'  he  said  with  a  faint 
smile,  "  I  knew  I  should  find  you  here." 

She  asked  him  his  division  and  he  told  her  he  belonged 
to  one  that  had  been  cooperating  with  the  French. 

"  But  how  can  that  be  ?  "  she  asked  in  surprise,  "  we 
have  never  worked  with  your  division.  How  do  you  know 
about  us?" 

"  I  only  saw  the  Salvation  Army  once,"  he  replied,  "  but 
I'll  never  forget  it.  It  was  when  I  came  back  to  conscious- 
ness in  the  Dressing  Station  at  Cheppy,  and  the  first  thing 
I  saw  was  a  Salvation  Army  girl  bending  over  me  washing 
the  blood  and  dirt  of?  my  face  with  cold  water.  She  looked 
like  an  angel  and  she  was  that  to  me.  She  gave  me  a  drink 
of  cold  lemonade  when  I  was  burning  up  with  fever,  and 
she  lifted  my  head  to  pour  it  between  my  lips  when  I  had 
not  strength  to  move  myself.  No,  I  shall  not  forget !  " 

One  bright  young  fellow  with  a  bandaged  eye  turned  a 
cheerful  grin  toward  the  Salvation  Army  visitor  as  she  said 
with  compassion :  "  Son,  I'm  sorry  you've  lost  your  eye." 

"  Oh,  that's  nothing,"  was  the  gay  reply,  "  I  can  see 
everything  out  of  the  other  eye.  I've  got  seven  holes  in  me, 
too,  but  believe  me  I'm  not  going  home  for  the  loss  of  an 
eye  and  seven  holes !  I'll  get  out  yet  and  get  into  the  fight !" 

The  Salvation  Army  officer  and  his  wife  who  were  sta- 
tioned at  Bonvillers  visited  every  man  in  the  local  hospital 
every  day,  sleeping  every  night  in  the  open  fields.  As  they 
are  quite  elderly,  this  was  no  little  hardship,  especially  in 
rainy  weather. 

Five  lassies  stationed  at  Noyers  St.  Martin  were  for 
several  weeks  forced  by  the  nightly  shelling  and  air-raids 
to  take  their  blankets  out  into  the  fields  at  night  and 
sleep  under  the  stars.  One  of  these  girls  was  called  "  Sun- 
shine "  because  of  her  smile. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  173 

On  the  eve  of  Decoration  Day  a  military  Colonel  visited 
her  in  the  hut.  He  seemed  rather  depressed,  perhaps  by 
the  ceremonies  of  the  day,  and  said  that  he  had  come  to  be 
cheered  up.  In  parting  he  said,  "  Little  girl,  you  had  better 
get  out  of  town  early  to-night ;  I  feel  as  though  something 
is  going  to  happen."  Less  than  an  hour  later,  while  the 
girls  were  just  preparing  for  the  night  in  a  field  half  a  mile 
distant,  an  aerial  bomb  dropped  by  an  aviator  on  the  house 
in  which  he  was  billeted  killed  him  and  two  other  Captains 
who  were  sitting  with  him  at  the  time.  He  had  been  a 
great  friend  of  the  Salvation  Army. 

Out  in  a  little  village  in  Indiana  there  grew  a  fair 
young  flower  of  a  girl.  Her  mother  was  a  dear  Christian 
woman  and  she  was  brought  up  in  her  mother's  church, 
which  she  loved.  When  she  was  only  twelve  years  old  she 
had  a  remarkable  and  thorough  old-fashioned  conversion, 
giving  herself  with  all  her  childish  heart  to  the  Saviour. 
She  feels  that  she  had  a  kind  of  vision  at  that  time  of  what 
the  Lord  wanted  her  to  be,  a  call  to  do  some  special  work 
for  Christ  out  in  the  world,  helping  people  who  did  not 
know  Him,  people  who  were  sick  and  poor  and  sorrowful. 
She  did  not  tell  her  vision  to  anyone.  She  did  not  even 
know  that  anywhere  in  the  world  were  any  people  doing  the 
kind  of  work  she  felt  she  would  like  to  do,  and  God  had 
called  her  to  do.  She  was  shy  about  it  and  kept  her 
thoughts  much  to  herself.  She  loved  her  own  church,  and 
its  services,  but  somehow  that  did  not  quite  satisfy  her. 

One  day  when  she  was  about  fourteen  years  old  the  Sal- 
vation Army  came  to  the  town  where  she  lived  and  opened 
work,  holding  its  meetings  in  a  large  hall  or  armory.  With 
her  young  companions  she  attended  these  meetings  and 
was  filled  with  a  longing  to  be  one  of  these  earnest  Christian 
workers. 


174  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Her  mother,  accustomed  to  a  quiet  conventional  church 
and  its  way  of  doing  Christian  work,  was  horrified ;  and  in 
alarm  sent  her  away  to  visit  her  uncle,  who  was  a  Baptist 
minister.  The  daughter,  dutiful  and  sweet,  went  willingly 
away,  although  she  had  many  a  longing  for  these  new 
friends  of  hers  who  seemed  to  her  to  have  found  the  way  of 
working  for  God  that  had  been  her  own  heart's  desire  for 
so  long. 

Meantime  her  gay  young  brother,  curious  to  know 
what  had  so  stirred  his  bright  sister,  went  to  the  Salva- 
tion Army  meetings  to  find  out,  and  was  attracted  himself. 
He  went  again  and  found  Jesus  Christ,  and  himself  joined 
the  Salvation  Army.  The  mother  in  this  case  did  not 
object,  perhaps  because  she  felt  that  a  boy  needed  more 
safeguards  than  a  girl,  perhaps  because  the  life  of  publicity 
would  not  trouble  her  so  miuch  in  connection  with  her  son 
as  with  her  daughter. 

The  daughter  after  several  months  away  from  home 
returned,  only  to  find  her  longing  to  join  the  Salvation 
Army  stronger.  But  quietly  and  sweetly  she  submitted  to 
her  mother's  wish  and  remained  at  home  for  some  years, 
like  her  Master  before  her,  who  went  down  to  His  home  in 
Nazareth  and  was  subject  to  His  father  and  mother ;  show- 
ing by  her  gentle  submission  and  her  lovely  life  that  she 
really  had  the  spirit  of  God  in  her  heart  and  was  not  merely 
led  away  by  her  enthusiasm  for  something  new  and  strange. 

When  she  was  twenty  her  mother  withdrew  her  objec- 
tions, and  the  daughter  became  a  Salvationist,  her  mother 
coming  to  feel  thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  her  during 
the  remaining  years  she  lived. 

This  is  the  story  of  one  of  the  Salvation  Army  lassies 
who  has  been  giving  herself  to  the  work  in  the  huts  over  in 
France.  She  is  still  young  and  lovely,  and  there  is  some- 


A    LETTER    OF    INSPIRATION    FROM    THE    COMMANDER 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  175 

thing  about  her  delicate  features  and  slender  grace  that 
makes  one  think  of  a  young  saint.  No  wonder  the  soldiers 
almost  worshipped  her !  No  wonder  these  lassies  were  as 
safe  over  there  ten  miles  from  any  other  woman  or  any  other 
civilian  alone  among  ten  thousand  soldiers,  as  if  they  had 
been  in  their  own  homes.  They  breathed  the  spirit  of  God 
as  they  worked,  as  well  as  when  they  sang  and  prayed.  To 
such  a  girl  a  man  may  open  his  heart  and  find  true  help 
and  strength. 

It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  our  boys  who  were  so 
afraid  of  anything  like  religion  or  anything  personal  over 
here,  to  talk  to  these  lassies  about  their  souls,  to  ask  them 
what  certain  verses  in  the  Bible  meant,  and  to  kneel  with 
them  in  some  quiet  corner  behind  the  chocolate  boxes  and 
be  prayed  with,  yes,  and  pray!  It  is  because  these  girls 
have  let  the  Christ  into  their  lives  so  completely  that  He 
lives  and  speaks  through  them,  and  the  boys  cannot  help 
but  recognize  it. 

Not  every  boy  who  was  in  a  Salvation  hut  meeting 
has  given  himself  to  Christ,  of  course,  but  every  one  of 
them  recognizes  this  wonderful  something  in  these  girls. 
Ask  them.  They  will  tell  you  "  She  is  the  real  thing ! " 
They  won't  tell  you  more  than  that,  perhaps,  unless  they 
have  really  grown  in  the  Christian  life,  but  they  mean  that 
they  have  recognized  in  her  spirit  a  likeness  to  the  spirit 
of  Christ. 

Now  and  then,  of  course,  there  was  a  thick-headed  one 
who  took  some  minutes  to  recognize  holiness.  Such  would 
enter  a  hut  with  an  oath  upon  his  lips,  or  an  unclean  story, 
and  straightway  all  the  men  who  were  sitting  at  the  tables 
writing  or  standing  about  the  room  would  come  to  atten- 
tion with  one  of  those  little  noisy  silences  that  mean,  so 


176  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

much;  pencils  would  click  down  on  the  table  like  a  chal< 
lenge,  and  the  newcomer  would  look  up  to  find  the  cold 
glances  of  his  fellows  upon  him. 

The  boys  who  frequented  the  huts  broke  the  habit  of 
swearing  and  telling  unclean  stories,  and  officers  began  to 
realize  that  their  men  were  better  in  their  work  because  of 
this  holy  influence  that  was  being  thrown  about  them.  One 
officer  said  his  men  worked  better,  and  kept  their  engines 
oiled  up  so  they  wouldn't  be  delayed  on  the  road,  that  they 
might  get  back  to  the  hut  early  in  the  evening.  The  picture 
of  a  girl  stirring  chocolate  kept  the  light  of  hope  going  in 
the  heart  of  many  a  homesick  lad. 

One  ignorant  and  exceedingly  "fresh"  youth,  once 
walked  boldly  into  a  hut,  it  is  said,  and  jauntily  addressed 
the  lassie  behind  the  counter  as  "  Dearie ."  The  sweet  blue 
eyes  of  the  lassie  grew  suddenly  cold  with  aloofness,  and 
she  looked  up  at  the  newcomer  without  her  usual  smile, 
saying  distinctly :  "  What  did  you  say  ?  " 

The  soldier  stared,  and  grew  red  and  unhappy : 

"  Oh !  I  beg  your  pardon ! "  he  said,  and  got  himself  out 
of  the  way  as  soon  as  possible.  These  lassies  needed  no 
chaperon.  They  were  young  saints  to  the  boys  they  served, 
and  they  had  a  cordon  of  ten  thousand  faithful  soldiers 
drawn  about  them  night  and  day.  As  a  military  Colonel 
said,  the  Salvation  Army  lassie  was  the  only  woman  in 
France  who  was  safe  unchaperoned. 

When  this  lassie  from  Indiana  came  back  on  a  short 
furlough  after  fifteen  months  in  France  with  the  troops, 
and  went  to  her  home  for  a  brief  visit,  the  Mayor  gave  the 
home  town  a  holiday,  had  out  the  band  and  waited  at  the 
depot  in  his  own  limousine  for  four  hours  that  he  might  not 
miss  greeting  her  and  doing  her  honor. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  177 

Here  is  the  poem  which  Pte.  Joseph  T.  Lopes  wrote 
about "  Those  Salvation  Army  Folks  "  after  the  Montdidier 
attack: 

Somewhere  in  France,  not  far  from  the  foe, 
There's  a  body  of  workers  whose  name  we  all  know; 
Who  not  only  at  home  give  their  lives  to  make  right, 
But  are  now  here  beside  us,  fighting  our  fight. 
What  care  they  for  rest  when  our  boys  at  the  front, 
Who,  fighting  for  freedom,  are  bearing  the  brunt, 
And  so,  just  at  dawn,  when  the  caissons  come  home, 
With  the  boys  tired  out  and  chilled  to  the  bone, 
The  Salvation  Army  with  its  brave  little  crew, 
Are  waiting  with  doughnuts  and  hot  coffee,  too. 
When  dangers  and  toiling  are  o'er  for  awhile, 
In  their  dugouts  we  find  comfort  and  welcome  their  smile. 
There's  a  spirit  of  home,  so  we  go  there  each  night, 
And  the  thinking  of  home  makes  us  sit  down  and  write, 
So  we  tell  of  these  folks  to  our  loved  ones  with  pride, 
And  are  thanking  the  Lord  to  have  them  on  our  side. ' 


V. 

THE  TOUL  SECTOE  AGAIN. 

WHEN  the  German  offensive  was  definitely  checked  in 
the  Montdidier  Sector,  the  First  Division  was  transferred 
back  to  the  Toul  Sector  and  the  Salvation  Army  moved 
with  it.  They  had  in  the  meantime  maintained  all  the  huts 
which  had  been  established  originally,  and  with  the  return 
of  the  First  Division,  they  established  additional  huts  be- 
tween Font  and  Nancy.  When  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  came 
off,  they  followed  the  advancing  troops,  establishing  huts  in 
the  devastated  villages,  keeping  in  as  close  contact  with  the 
extreme  front  as  was  possible,  serving  the  troops  day  and 
night,  always  aiming  to  be  at  the  point  where  the  need  was 
the  greatest,  and  where  they  could  be  of  the  greatest  service. 

The  first  Americans  to  pay  the  supreme  sacrifice  in  the 
cause  of  liberty  were  buried  in  the  Toul  Sector. 

As  it  drew  near  to  Decoration  Day  there  came  a  mes- 
sage from  over  the  sea  from  the  Commander  to  her  faith- 
ful band  of  workers,  saying  that  she  was  sending  American 
flags,  one  for  every  American  soldier's  grave,  and  that  she 
wanted  the  graves  cared  for  and  decorated;  and  at  all  the 
various  locations  of  Salvation  Army  workers  they  pre- 
pared to  do  her  bidding. 

The  day  before  the  thirtieth  of  May  they  took  time 
from  their  other  duties  to  clear  away  the  mud,  dead  grass 
and  fallen  leaves  from  the  graves,  and  heap  up  the  mounds 
where  they  had  been  washed  flat  by  the  rains,  making  each 
one  smooth,  regular  and  tidy.  At  the  head  of  each  grave 
was  a  simple  wooden  cross  bearing  the  name  of  the  soldier 

178 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  179 

who  lay  there,  his  rank,  his  regiment  and  the  date  of  his 
death.  Into  the  back  of  each  cross  they  drove  a  staple  for 
a  flag,  and  they  swept  and  garnished  the  place  as  best  they 
could. 

One  Salvation  Army  woman  writing  home  told  of  the 
plans  they  had  made  in  Treveray  for  Decoration  Day ;  how 
Commander  Booth  was  sending  enough  American  flags  to 
decorate  every  American  grave  in  France,  and  how  they 
meant  to  gather  flowers  and  put  with  the  flags,  and  have  a 
little  service  of  prayer  over  the  graves. 

In  the  gray  old  French  cemetery  of  Treveray  five 
American  boys  lay  buried.  The  flowers  upon  their  graves 
were  dry  and  dead,  for  their  regiments  had  moved  on  and 
left  them.  The  graves  had  been  neglected  and  only  the 
guarding  wooden  crosses  remained  above  the  rough  earth  to 
show  that  someone  had  cared  and  had  stopped  to  put  a 
mark  above  the  places  where  they  lay.  It  was  these  graves 
the  Salvation  Army  woman  now  proposed  to  decorate  on 
Memorial  Day. 

The  letter  went  to  the  Captain  for  censorship,  and  soon 
the  Salvation  Army  woman  had  a  call  from  him. 

"I  understand  by  one  of  your  letters  that  you  are 
thinking  of  decorating  the  American  graves,"  he  said.  "  We 
would  like  to  help  in  that,  if  you  don't  mind.  I  would  like 
the  company  all  to  be  present." 

The  day  before  Memorial  Day  this  woman  with  two  of 
the  lassies  from  the  hut  went  to  the  cemetery  and  prepared 
for  the  morrow. 

In  the  morning  they  gathered  great  armfuls  of  crim- 
son poppies  from  the  fields,  creamy  snowballs  from 
neglected  gardens,  and  blue  bachelor  buttons  from  the  hill- 
sides, which  they  arranged  in  bouquets  of  red,  white  and  blue 
for  the  graves.  They  had  no  vases  in  which  to  place  the 


180  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

flowers  but  they  used  the  apple  tins  in  which  the  apples  for 
their  pies  had  been  canned. 

The  centuries-old  gray  cemetery  nestled  in  a  curve  of 
the  road  between  wheat  fields  on  every  side.  A  gray,  moss- 
covered,  lichen-hung  wall  surrounded  it.  The  five  Ameri- 
can graves  were  under  the  shadow  of  the  Western  wall,  and 
the  sun  was  slowly  sinking  in  his  glory  as  the  company  of 
soldiers  escorted  the  women  into  the  cemetery.  They  passed 
between  the  ponderous  old  gray  stones,  and  beaded  wreaths 
of  the  French  graves;  and  the  officers  and  men  lined  up 
facing  the  five  graves.  The  women  placed  the  tricolored 
flowers  in  the  cans  prepared  for  them,  and  planted  the 
flags  beside  them.  Then  the  elder  woman,  who  had  sons 
of  her  own,  stepped  out  and  saluted  the  military  com- 
manding officer :  "  Colonel,"  said  she, "  with  your  permission 
we  would  like  to  follow  our  custom  and  offer  a  prayer  for 
the  bereaved."  Instantly  permission  was  given  and  every 
head  was  uncovered  as  the  Salvationist  poured  out  her  heart 
in  prayer  to  the  Everlasting  Father,  commending  the  dead 
into  His  ten'der  Keeping,  and  pleading  for  the  sorrow- 
stricken  friends  across  the  sea,  until  the  soldiers'  tears  fell 
unchecked  as  they  stood  with  rifles  stiffly  in  front  of  them 
listening  to  the  quiet  voice  of  the  woman  as  she  prayed. 
God  seemed  Himself  to  come  down,  and  the  living  boys 
standing  over  their  five  dead  comrades  could  not  help  but 
be  enfolded  in  His  love,  and  feel  the  sense  of  His  presence. 
They  knew  that  they,  too,  might  soon  be  sleeping  even  as 
these  at  their  feet.  It  seemed  but  a  step  to  the  other  life. 

When  the  prayer  was  finished  a  firing  squad  fired  five 
volleys  over  the  graves,  and  then  the  bugler  played  the 
taps  and  the  little  service  was  over.  The  lassies  lingered 
to  take  pictures  of  the  graves  and  that  night  they  wrote 
letters  describing  the  ceremony,  to  be  sent  with  the  photo- 


i 

I   r    V  v:» 


1 


COLONEL  BARKER  PLACING  THE  COMMANDER'S  FLOWERS  ON 
LIEUTENANT  QUENTIN   ROOSEVELT'S   GRAVE 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  181 

graphs  to  the  War  Department  at  Washington  with  the 
request  that  they  be  forwarded  to  the  nearest  relatives  of 
the  five  men  buried  at  Treveray. 

There  were  exercises  at  Menil-la-Tour  and  here  they 
had  built  a  simple  platform  in  the  centre  of  the  ground 
and  erected  a  flagpole  at  one  corner. 

When  the  morning  came  two  regimental  bands  took  up 
their  positions  in  opposite  corners  of  the  cemetery  and 
began  to  play.  The  French  populace  had  turned  out  en 
masse.  They  took  up  their  stand  just  outside  the  little 
cemetery,  next  to  them  the  soldiers  were  lined  up,  then  the 
Red  Cross,  then  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Beyond,  a  little  hill  rose 
sloping  gently  to  the  sky  line,  and  over  it  a  mile  away  was 
the  German  front,  with  the  shells  coming  over  all  the  time. 

It  was  an  impressive  scene  as  all  stood  with  bared  heads 
just  outside  the  little  enclosure  where  eighty-one  wooden 
crosses  marked  the  going  of  as  many  brave  spirits  who  had 
walked  so  blithely  into  the  crisis  and  given  their  young 
lives. 

Some  French  officers  had  brought  a  large,  beautiful 
wreath  to  do  honor  to  the  American  heroes,  and  this  was 
placed  at  the  foot  of  the  great  central  flagpole. 

The  bands  played,  and  they  all  sang.  It  was  announced 
that  but  for  the  thoughtfulness  and  kindness  of  Com- 
mander Evangeline  Booth  in  sending  over  flags  those  graves 
would  have  gone  undecorated  that  day. 

The  Commanding  General  then  came  to  the  front  and 
behind  him  walked  the  Salvation  Army  lassies  bearing  the 
flags  in  their  arms. 

Down  the  long  row  of  graves  he  passed.  He  would  take 
a  flag  from  one  of  the  girls,  slip  it  in  the  staple  back  of  the 
cross,  stand  a  moment  at  salute,  then  pass  on  to  the  next. 
It  was  very  still  that  May  morning,  broken  only  by  the 


182  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

awesome  boom  of  battle  just  over  the  hill,  but  to  that  sound 
all  had  grown  accustomed.  The  people  stood  with  that 
hush  of  sorrow  over  them  which  only  the  majesty  of  death 
can  bring  to  the  hearts  of  a  crowd,  and  there  were  tears  in 
many  eyes  and  on  the  faces  of  rough  soldiers  standing  there 
to  honor  their  comrades  who  had  been  called  upon  to  give 
their  lives  to  the  great  cause  of  freedom. 

A  little  breeze  was  blowing  and  into  the  solemn  stillness 
there  stole  a  new  sound,  the  silken  ripple  of  the  flags  as 
one  by  one  they  were  set  fluttering  from  the  crosses,  like  a 
soft,  growing,  triumphant  chorus  of  those  to  come  whose 
lives  were  to  be  made  safe  because  these  had  died.  As  if 
the  flag  would  waft  back  to  the  Homeland,  and  the  stricken 
mothers  and  fathers,  sisters  and  sweethearts,  some  idea  of 
the  greatness  of  the  cause  in  which  they  died  to  comfort 
them  in  their  sorrow. 

Out  through  each  line  the  General  passed,  placing  the 
flags  and  solemnly  saluting,  till  eighty  graves  had  been 
decorated  and  there  was  only  one  left;  but  there  was  no 
flag  for  the  eighty -first  grave!  Somehow,  although  they 
thought  they  had  brought  several  more  than  were  needed, 
they  were  one  short.  But  the  General  stood  and  saluted  the 
grave  as  he  had  the  others,  and  later  the  flag  was  brought 
and  put  in  place,  so  that  every  American  grave  in  the  Toul 
Sector  that  day  had  its  flag  fluttering  from  its  cross. 

Then  the  General  and  the  soldiers  saluted  the  large 
flag.  It  was  an  impressive  moment  with  the  deep  thunder 
of  the  guns  just  over  the  hill  reminding  of  more  battle  and 
more  lives  to  be  laid  down. 

The  General  then  addressed  the  soldiers,  and  facing 
toward  the  West  and  pointing  he  said : 

"  Out  there  in  that  direction  is  Washington  and  the 
President,  and  all  the  people  of  the  United  States,  who  are 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  183 

looking  to  you  to  set  the  world  free  from  tyranny.  Over 
there  are  the  mothers  who  have  bade  you  good-bye  with 
tears  and  sent  you  forth,  and  are  waiting  at  home  and 
praying  for  you,  trusting  in  you.  Out  there  are  the  fathers 
and  the  sisters  and  the  sweethearts  you  have  left  behind, 
all  depending  on  you  to  do  your  best  for  the  Eight.  Now/' 
said  he  in  a  clear  ringing  voice,  "  turn  and  salute  America !  " 
And  they  all  turned  and  saluted  toward  the  West,  while 
the  band  played  softly  "  My  Country  'Tis  of  Thee !  " 

It  was  a  wonderful,  beautiful,  solemn  sight,  every  man 
standing  and  saluting  while  the  flags  fluttered  softly  on 
the  breeze. 

Behind  the  little  French  Catholic  church  in  the  village 
of  Bonvilliers  there  was  quite  a  large  field  which  had  been 
turned  over  to  the  Americans  for  a  cemetery.  The  Mili- 
tary Major  had  caused  an  arch  to  be  made  over  the  gateway 
inscribed  with  the  words:  "NATIONAL  CEMETERY 
OF  THE  AMERICAN  EXPEDITIONARY  FORCES." 
There  were  over  two  hundred  graves  inside  the  cemetery. 

On  Decoration  Day  the  Regimental  Band  led  a  parade 
through  the  village  streets  to  the  graveyard,  the  French 
women  in  black  and  little  French  children,  with  wreaths 
made  of  wonderful  beaded  flowers  cunningly  constructed 
from  beads  strung  on  fine  wires,  marching  in  the  parade. 
Arrived  at  the  cemetery  they  all  stood  drawn  up  in  line 
while  the  Military  Major  gave  a  beautiful  address,  first  in 
French  and  then  in  English.  He  then  told  the  French 
children  and  women  to  take  their  places  one  at  each  grave, 
and  lay  down  their  tributes  of  flowers  for  the  Americans. 
Following  this  the  Salvation  Army  placed  flags  on  each 
on  behalf  of  the  mothers  of  the  boys  who  were  lying  there. 

It  was  noon-day.  The  sun  was  very  bright  and  every 
white  cross  bearing  the  name  of  the  fallen  glittered  in  the 


184  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

eun.  Even  the  worst  little  hovel  over  in  France  is  smoth- 
ered in  a  garden  and  bright  with  myriads  of  flowers,  so 
everything  was  gay  with  blossoms  and  everybody  had 
brought  as  many  as  could  be  carried. 

Over  in  one  corner  of  the  cemetery  were  two  German 
graves,  and  one  of  the  lassies  of  that  organization  which 
proclaims  salvation  for  all  men  went  and  laid  some  blos- 
soms there  also. 

At  La  Folie  one  of  the  Salvation  Army  lassies  going 
across  the  fields  on  some  errand  of  mercy  found  three 
American  graves  undecorated  and  bare  on  Memorial 
Day,  and  turning  aside  from  the  road  she  gathered  great 
armfuls  of  scarlet  poppies  from  the  fields  and  came  and 
laid  them  on  the  three  mounds,  then  knelt  and  prayed  for 
the  friends  of  the  boys  whose  bodies  were  lying  there. 

The  whole  world  was  startled  and  saddened  when  the 
news  came  that  Lieutenant  Quentin  Eoosevelt  had  been 
shot  down  in  his  airplane  in  action  and  fallen  within  the 
enemy's  lines. 

He  was  crudely  buried  by  the  Germans  where  he  fell, 
near  Chambray,  and  a  rude  cross  set  up  to  mark  the  place. 
All  around  were  pieces  of  his  airplane  shattered  on  the 
ground  and  left  as  they  had  fallen. 

When  the  spot  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Allies,  the 
grave  was  cared  for  by  the  Salvation  Army;  a  new  white 
cross  set  up  beside  the  old  one,  and  gentle  hands  smoothed 
the  mound  and  made  it  shapely.  On  Decoration  Day  Col- 
onel Barker  placed  upon  this  grave  the  beautiful  flowers 
arranged  for  by  cable  by  Commander  Booth. 

The  girls  went  down  to  decorate  the  two  hundred  Ameri- 
can graves  at  Mandres,  and  even  while  they  bent  over  the 
flaming  blossoms  and  laid  them  on  the  mounds  an  air  bat- 
tle was  going  on  over  their  heads.  Close  at  hand  was  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  185 

American  artillery  being  moved  to  the  front  on  a  little 
narrow-gauge  railroad  that  ran  near  to  the  graveyard,  and 
the  Germans  were  firing  and  trying  to  get  them. 

But  the  girls  went  steadily  on  with  their  work,  scat- 
tering flowers  and  setting  flags  until  their  service  of  love 
was  over.  Then  they  stood  aside  for  the  prayer  and  a  song. 
One  of  the  Salvation  Army  Captains  with  a  fine  voice 
began  to  sing  : 

My  loved  ones  in  the  Homeland 

Are  waiting  me  to  come, 
Where  neither  death  nor  sorrow 

Invadea  their  holy  home; 
O  dear,  dear  native  country! 

O  rest  and  peace  above! 
Christ,  bring  us  all  to  the  Homeland 
Of  Thy  redeeming  love. 

Into  the  midst  of  the  song  came  the  engine  on  the  little 
narrow  track  straight  toward  where  he  stood,  and  he  had 
to  step  aside  onto  a  pile  of  dirt  to  finish  his  song. 

That  same  Captain  went  on  ahead  to  the  Home  Land 
not  long  after  when  the  epidemic  of  influenza  swept  over 
the  world;  and  he  was  given  the  honor  of  a  military 
funeral. 


VI. 

THE  BACCARAT  SECTOR. 

BACCARAT  was  the  Zone  Headquarters  for  that  Sector. 

Down  the  Main  street  there  hung  a  sign  on  an  old  house 
labeled  "  MODERN  BAR." 

Inside  everything  was  all  torn  up.  It  had  never  been 
opened  since  the  battles  of  1914.  The  Germans  had  lived 
there  and  everything  was  in  an  awful  condition.  One  won- 
ders how  they  endured  themselves.  The  Military  detailed 
two  men  for  two  days  to  spade  up  and  carry  away  the 
filth  from  the  bedrooms,  and  it  took  two  women  an  entire 
week  all  but  one  day,  scrubbing  all  day  long  until  their 
shoulders  ached,  to  scrub  the  place  clean.  But  they  got 
it  clean.  They  were  the  kind  of  women  that  did  not  give 
up  even  when  a  thing  seemed  an  impossibility.  This  was 
the  sort  of  thing  they  were  up  against  continually.  They 
could  have  no  meetings  that  week,  because  they  had  to  scrub 
and  make  the  place  fit  for  a  Salvation  Army  hut. 

Two  of  the  lassies  were  awakened  early  one  bright  morn- 
ing by  the  sound  of  an  axe  ringing  rhythmically  on  wood, 
just  back  of  their  canteen.  It  was  a  cheerful  sound  to 
wake  to,  for  the  girls  had  been  through  a  long  wearing 
day  and  night,  and  they  knew  when  they  went  to  sleep 
that  the  wood  was  almost  gone.  It  was  always  so  pleasant 
to  have  someone  offer  to  cut  it  for  them,  for  they  never 
liked  to  have  to  ask  help  of  the  soldiers  if  they  could  pos- 
sibly avoid  it.  But  there  was  so  much  else  to  be  done 
besides  cutting  wood.  Not  that  they  could  not  do  that, 
too,  when  the  need  offered.  The  sisters  looked  sleepily  at 
one  another,  thinking  simultaneously  of  the  poor  homesick 
doughboy  who  had  told  them  the  day  before  that  chopping 

186 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  187 

wood  for  them  made  him  think  of  home  and  mother  and 
that  was  why  he  liked  to  do  it.  Of  course,  it  was  he  hard 
at  work  for  them  before  they  were  up,  and  they  smiled 
contentedly,  with  a  lifted  prayer  for  the  poor  fellow.  They 
knew  he  had  received  no  mail  for  four  months  and  that  only 
a  few  days  before  he  had  read  in  a  paper  sent  to  one  of  his 
pals  of  the  death  of  his  sister.  Of  course,  his  heart  was 
breaking,  for  he  knew  what  his  widowed  mother  was  suf- 
fering. They  knew  that  his  salvation  from  homesickness 
just  now  lay  in  giving  him  something  to  do,  so  they  lingered 
a  little  just  to  give  him  the  chance,  and  planned  how  they 
would  let  him  help  with  the  doughnuts,  and  fix  the  benches, 
later,  when  the  wood  was  cut. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  girls  were  ready  for  the  day's 
work  and  went  around  to  the  kitchen,  where  the  sound  of 
the  ringing  axe  was  still  heard  in  steady  strokes.  But 
when  they  rounded  the  corner  of  the  kitchen  and  greeted 
the  wood-chopper  cheerily,  he  looked  up,  and  lo!  it  was 
not  the  homesick  doughboy  as  they  had  supposed,  but  the 
Colonel  of  the  regiment  himself  who  smiled  half  apolo- 
getically at  them,  saying  he  liked  his  new  job;  and  when 
they  invited  him  to  breakfast  he  accepted  the  invitation 
with  alacrity. 

After  breakfast  the  girls  went  to  work  making  pies. 
There  had  been  no  oven  in  the  little  French  town  in  which 
they  were  stationed,  and  so  baking  had  been  impossible, 
but  the  boys  kept  talking  and  talking  about  pies  until  one 
day  a  Lieutenant  found  an  old  French  stove  in  some  ruins. 
They  had  to  half  bury  it  in  the  earth  to  make  it  strong 
enough  for  use,  but  managed  to  make  it  work  at  last,  and 
though  much  hampered  by  the  limitations  of  the  small 
oven,  they  baked  enough  to  give  all  the  boys  a  taste  of  pie 
once  a  week  or  so.  Pie  day  was  so  welcomed  that  it  almost 
made  a  riot,  so  many  boys  wanted  a  slice. 


188  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

They  were  having  a  meeting  one  night  at  Baccarat. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  noise  going  on  outside  the  dug- 
out. The  shells  were  falling  around  rather  indiscrimi- 
nately, but  it  takes  more  than  shell  fire  to  stop  a  Salvation 
Army  meeting  at  the  front.  There  is  only  one  thing  that 
will  stop  it,  and  that  is  a  sudden  troop  movement.  It  is  the 
same  way  with  baseball,  for  the  week  before  this  meeting 
two  regimental  baseball  teams  played  seven  innings  of 
air-tight  ball  while  the  shells  were  falling  not  three  hun- 
dred yards  away  at  the  roadside  edge  of  their  ball-ground. 
During  the  seven  innings  only  eight  hits  were  allowed  by 
the  two  pitchers.  The  score  was  close  and  when  at  the 
end  of  the  seventh  a  shell  exploded  within  fifty  yards 
of  the  diamond  and  an  officer  shouted :  "  Game  called  on 
account  of  shell  fire ! "  there  was  considerable  dissatisfaction 
expressed  because  the  game  was  not  allowed  to  continue. 
It  is  with  the  same  spirit  that  the  men  attend  their  reli- 
gious meetings.  They  come  because  they  want -to  and  they 
won't  let  anything  interfere  with  it. 

But  on  this  particular  night  the  meeting  was  in  full 
force,  and  so  were  the  shells.  It  had  been  a  meeting  in 
which  the  men  had  taken  part,  led  by  one  of  the  women 
whose  leadership  was  unquestioned  among  them,  a  per- 
sonal testimony  meeting  in  which  several  soldiers  and  an 
officer  had  spoken  of  what  Christ  had  done  for  them.  Then 
there  was  a  solo  by  one  of  the  lassies,  and  the  Adjutant 
opened  his  Bible  and  began  to  read.  He  took  as  his  text 
Isaiah  55:1.  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to 
the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money ;  come  ye,  buy,  and 
eat." 

Those  boys  knew  what  it  was  to  be  thirsty,  terrible 
thirst!  They  had  come  back  from  the  lines  sometimes 
their  tongues  parched  and  their  whole  bodies  feverish  with 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  189 

thirst  and  there  was  nothing  to  be  had  to  drink  until  the 
Salvation  Army  people  had  appeared  with  good  cold  lem- 
onade; and  when  they  had  no  money  they  had  given  it  to 
them  just  the  same.  Oh,  they  knew  what  that  verse  meant 
and  their  attention  was  held  at  once  as  the  speaker  went 
on  to  show  plainly  how  Jesus  Christ  would  give  the  water 
of  life  just  as  freely  to  those  who  were  thirsty  for  it.  And 
they  were  thirsty!  They  did  not  wish  to  conceal  how 
thirsty  they  were  for  the  living  water. 

Just  in  the  midst  of  the  talk  the  lights  went  out.  Many 
a  church  under  like  conditions  would  have  had  a  panic  in 
no  time,  but  this  crowded  audience  sat  perfectly  quiet, 
listening  as  the  speaker  went  on,  quoting  his  Bible  from 
memory  where  he  could  not  read. 

Over  there  in  the  corner  on  a  bench  sat  the  lassies, 
the  women  who  had  been  serving  them  all  through  the 
hard  days,  as  quiet  and  calm  in  the  darkness  as  though  they 
sat  in  a  cushioned  pew  in  some  well-lit  church  in  New 
York.  It  was  as  if  the  guns  were  like  annoying  little 
insects  that  were  outside  a  screen,  and  now  and  then  slipped 
in,  so  little  attention  did  the  audience  pay  to  them.  When 
all  those  who  wished  to  accept  this  wonderful  invitation 
were  asked  to  come  forward,  seven  men  arose  and  stumbled 
through  the  darkness.  The  light  from  a  bursting  shell  re- 
vealed for  an  instant  the  forms  of  these  men  as  they  knelt 
at  the  rough  bench  in  front,  one  of  them  with  his  steel 
helmet  hanging  from  his  arm  as  he  prayed  aloud  for  his 
own  salvation.  No  one  who  was  in  that  meeting  that  night 
could  doubt  but  that  Jesus  Christ  Himself  was  there,  and 
that  those  men  all  felt  His  presence. 

In  Bertrichamps  the  Salvation  Army  was  given  a 
large  glass  factory  for  a  canteen.  It  made  a  beautiful 
place,  and  there  was  room  to  take  care  of  eight  hundred 


190  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

men  at  a  time.  This  building  was  also  used  by  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  as  well  as  the  Jews  and  the  Catholics  for  their  ser- 
vices, there  being  no  other  suitable  place  in  town.  But 
everybody  worked  together,  and  got  along  harmoniously. 

Here  there  were  some  wonderful  meetings,  and  it  was 
great  to  hear  the  boys  singing  "  When  The  Roll  Is  Called 
Up  Yonder,  I'll  Be  There."  Perhaps  if  some  of  the  half- 
hearted Christians  at  home  could  have  caught  the  echo 
of  that  song  sung  with  such  earnestness  by  those  boyish 
voices  they  would  have  had  a  revelation.  It  seemed  as  if 
the  earth-film  were  more  than  half  torn  away  from  their 
young,  wise  eyes  over  there;  and  they  found  that  earthly 
standards  and  earthly  fake-whisperings  did  not  fit.  They 
felt  the  spirit  of  the  hour,  they  felt  the  spirit  of  the  place, 
and  of  the  people  who  were  serving  them  patiently  day 
by  day ;  who  didn't  have  to  stay  there  and  work ;  who  might 
have  kept  in  back  of  the  lines  and  worked  and  sent  things 
up  now  and  then;  but  who  chose  to  stay  close  with  them 
and  share  their  hardships.  They  felt  that  something  more 
than  just  love  to  their  fellow-men  had  instigated  such  un- 
selfishness. They  knew  it  was  something  they  needed  to 
help  them  through  what  was  before  them.  They  reached 
hungrily  after  the  Christ  and  they  found  Him. 

Then  they  testified  in  the  meetings.  Often  as  many  as 
twelve  or  more  before  an  audience  of  five  hundred  would 
get  up  and  tell  what  Jesus  had  become  to  them.  In  one 
meeting  in  this  glass  factory  two  hundred  soldiers  pledged 
to  serve  the  Lord,  to  read  their  Bibles,  and  to  pray. 

There  were  in  this  place  some  Christian  boys  who  came 
from  families  where  they  had  been  accustomed  to  family 
worship,  and  who  now  that  they  were  far  away  from  it, 
looked  back  with  longing  to  the  days  when  it  had  been  a 
part  of  every  day.  Things  look  different  over  there  with 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  191 

the  sound  of  battle  close  at  hand,  and  customs  that  had 
been  a  part  of  every-day  life  at  home  became  very  dear, 
perhaps  dearer  than  they  had  ever  seemed  before.  They 
found  out  that  the  Salvation  Army  people  had  prayers 
every  night  after  they  closed  the  canteen  at  half-past  nine 
and  went  to  their  rooms  in  a  house  not  far  away,  and  so 
they  begged  that  they  might  share  the  worship  with  them. 
So  every  night  they  took  home  fifteen  or  twenty  men  to  the 
living-room  of  the  house  where  they  stayed  just  as  many 
as  they  could  crowd  in,  and  there  they  would  have  a  little 
Bible  reading  and  prayer  together.  The  Father  only 
knows  how  many  souls  were  strengthened  and  how  many 
feet  kept  from  falling  because  of  those  brief  moments  of 
worship  with  these  faithful  men  and  women  of  God. 

"  Oh,  if  you  only  knew  what  it  means  to  us ! "  one  of 
the  men  tried  to  tell  them  one  day. 

Sometimes  men  who  said  they  hadn't  prayed  nor  read 
their  Bibles  for  years  would  be  found  in  little  groups  openly 
reading  a  testament  to  each  other. 


When  the  girls  opened  their  shutters  in  the  morning 
they  could  look  out  over  the  spot  in  No  Man's  Land  which 
was  the  scene  of  such  frightful  German  atrocities  in  1914. 

Our  field  artillery,  stationed  in  the  woods,  sent  over  to 
the  Salvation  Army  to  know  if  they  wouldn't  come  over 
and  cook  something  for  them,  they  were  starving  for  some 
home  cooking.  So  two  of  the  women  put  on  their  steel 
helmets  and  their  gas  masks,  for  the  Boche  planes  were 
flying  everywhere,  and  went  over  across  No  Man's  Land  to 
see  if  there  was  a  place  where  they  could  open  up  a  hut. 
They  were  walking  along  quietly,  talking,  and  had  not 
noticed  the  German  plane  that  approached.  They  were  so 


192  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

accustomed  to  seeing  them  by  twos  and  threes  that  a 
single  one  did  not  attract  their  attention.  Suddenly  almost 
over  their  heads  the  Boche  dropped  a  shell,  trying  to  get 
them.  But  it  was  a  dud  and  did  not  explode.  Two 
American  soldiers  came  tearing  over,  crying :  "  Girls !  Are 
you  hurt?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  one  of  them  brightly.  "  The  Lord 
wouldn't  let  that  fellow  get  us." 

The  soldiers  used  strong  language  as  they  looked  after 
the  fast-vanishing  plane,  but  then  they  glanced  back  at 
the  women  'again  with  something  unspoken  in  their  eyes. 
They  believed,  those  boys,  they  really  did,  that  God  pro- 
tected those  women ;  and  they  used  to  beg  them  to  remain 
with  their  regiment  when  they  were  going  near  the  front, 
because  they  wanted  their  prayers  as  a  protection.  Some 
of  the  regiments  openly  said  they  thought  those  girls' 
prayers  had  saved  their  lives. 

That  Boche  plane,  however,  had  not  far  to  go.  Before 
it  reached  Baccarat  the  Americans  trained  their  guns  on  it 
and  brought  it  down  in'  flames. 

The  house  occupied  by  the  Salvation  Army  girls  as  a 
billet  had  a  sad  story  connected  with  it.  When  the  Ger- 
mans had  come  the  father  was  soon  killed  and  four  German 
officers  had  taken  possession  of  the  place  for1  their  Head- 
quarters. They  also  took  possession  of  the  two  little  girls 
of  the  family,  nine  and  fourteen  years  of  age,  to  wait  upon 
them.  And  the  first  command  that  was  given  these  chil- 
dren was  that  they  should  wait  upon  the  men  nude !  The 
youngest  child  was  not  old  enough  to  understand  what  this 
meant,  but  the  older  one  was  in  terror,  and  they  begged 
and  cried  and  pleaded  but  all  to  no  purpose.  The  officer 
was  inexorable.  He  told  them  that  if!  they  did  not  obey 
they  would  be  shot. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  193 

The  poor  old  grandfather  and  grandmother,  too  feeble 
to  do  anything,  and  powerless,  of  course,  to  aid,  could 
only  endure  in  agony.  The  grandmother,  telling  the  Sal- 
vation Army  women  the  story  afterward,  pointed  with 
trembling  fingers  and  streaming  eyes  to  the  two  little 
graves  in  the  yard  and  said :  "  Oh,  it  would  have  been  BO 
much  better  if  he  had  shot  them !  They  lie  out  there  as 
the  result  of  their  infamous  and  inhuman  treatment." 

Some  most  amusing  incidents  came  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  Salvation  Army  workers. 

An  old  French  woman,  over  eighty  years  of  age,  lived 
in  one  of  the  stricken  villages  on  the  Vosges  front.  Her 
home  had  been  several  times  struck  by  shells  and  was 
frequently  the  target  for  enemy  bombing  squadrons.  All 
through  the  war  she  refused  to  leave  the  home  in  which  she 
had  lived  from  earliest  childhood. 

"  It  is  not  the  guns,  nor  the  bombs  which  can  frighten 
me,"  she  told  a  Salvation  Army  lassie  who  was  billeted 
with  her  for  a  time,  "  but  I  am  very  much  afraid  of  the 
submarines." 

The  village  was  several  hundred  miles  inland. 

The  activity  was  all  at  night,  for  no  one  dared  be  seen 
about  in  the  daytime.  It  must  be  a  very  urgent  duty  that 
would  call  men  forth  into  full  view  of  the  enemy.  But  as 
soon  as  the  dark  came  on  the  men  would  crawl  into  the 
trenches,  stick  their  rifles  between  the  sandbags  and  get 
ready  for  work. 

It  seemed  to  be  always  raining.  They  said  that  when 
it  wasn't  actually  raining  it  was  either  clearing  off  or 
just  getting  ready  to  rain  again.  Twenty  minutes  in  the 
trenches  and  a  man  was  all  over  mud,  wet,  cold,  slippery 
mud.  In  his  hair,  down  his  neck,  in  his  boots,  everywhere. 
IS 


194  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Through  the  trenches  just  behind  the  standing  place 
ran  a  deeper  trench  or  drain  to  carry  the  water  away,  and 
this  was  covered  over  with  a  rough  board  called  a  duck- 
board.  Underneath  this  duck-board  ran  a  continual 
stream  of  water.  A  man  would  go  along  the  trench  in 
a  hurry,  make  a  misstep  on  one  end  of  the  duck-board  and 
down  he  would  go  in  mud  and  freezing  water  to  the  waist. 
In  these  cold,  wet  garments  he  must  stay  all  night.  The 
tension  was  very  great. 

As  the  soldiers  had  to  work  in  the  night,  so  the  Salva- 
tion Army  men  and  women  worked  in  the  night  to  serve 
them. 

The  Salvation  Army  men  would  visit  the  sentries  and 
bring  them  coffee  and  doughnuts  prepared  in  the  dugouts 
by  the  girls.  It  was  exceedingly  dangerous  work.  They 
would  crawl  through  the  connecting  trenches,  which  were 
not  more  than  three  feet  deep,  and  one  must  stoop  to  be 
safe,  and  get  to  the  front-line  trenches  with  their  cans  of 
coffee.  They  would  touch  a  fellow  on  the  shoulder,  fill 
his  mug  with  coffee,  and  slip  him  some  doughnuts.  At 
such  times  the  things  were  always  given,  not  sold.  They 
did  not  dare  even  to  whisper,  for  the  enemy  listening  posts 
were  close  at  hand  and  the  slightest  breath  might  give  away 
their  position.  The  sermon  would  be  a  pat  of  encourage- 
ment on  a  man's  shoulder,  then  pass  on  to  the  next. 

One  morning  at  three  o'clock  a  Salvationist  carried  a 
second  supply  of  hot  coffee  to  the  battery  positions.  One 
gunner  with  tense,  strained  face  eyed  his  full  coffee  mug 
with  satisfaction  and  said  with  a  sigh :  "  Good !  That  is  all 
I  wanted.  I  can  keep  going  until  morning  now ! " 

When  the  men  were  lined  up  for  a  raid  there  would 
be  a  prayer-meeting  in  the  dugout,  thirty  inside  and  as 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  195 

many  as  could  crowded  around  the  door.  Just  a  prayer  and 
singing.  Then  the  boys  would  go  to  the  girls  and  leave 
their  little  trinkets  or  letters,  and  say :  "  I'm  going  over 
the  top,  Sister.  If  I  don't  come  back — if  I'm  kicked  off — 
you  tell  mother.  You  will  know  what  to  say  to  her  to  help 
her  bear  up." 

Three-quarters  of  an  hour  later  what  was  left  of  them 
would  return  and  the  girls  would  be  ready  with  hot  coffee 
and  doughnuts.  It  was  heart-breaking,  back-aching,  won- 
derful work,  work  fit  for  angels  to  do,  and  these  girls  did 
it  with  all  their  souls. 

"  Aren't  you  tired  ?  Aren't  you  afraid  ?  "  asked  some- 
one of  a  lassie  who  had  been  working  hard  for  forty  con- 
secutive hours,  aiding  the  doctors  in  caring  for  the 
wounded,  and  in  a  lull  had  found  time  to  mix  up  and 
fry  a  batch  of  doughnuts  in  a  corner  from  which  the 
roof  had  been  completely  blown  by  shells. 

"  Oh,  no !  It's  great ! "  she  replied  eagerly.  "  I'm  the 
luckiest  girl  in  the  world." 

By  this  time  the  Salvation  Army  had  acquired  many 
great  three-ton  trucks,  and  the  drivers  of  these  risked  their 
lives  daily  to  carry  supplies  to  the  dugouts  and  huts  that 
were  taking  care  of  the  men  at  the  front. 

There  were  signs  all  over  everywhere :  "  ATTEN- 
TION! THE  ENEMY  SEES  YOU!"  Trucks  were  not 
allowed  to  go  in  daytime  except  in  case  of  great  emergency. 
Sometimes  in  urgent  cases  day-passes  would  be  given  with 
the  order :  "  If  you  have  to  go,  go  like  the  devil ! " 

The  enemy  always  had  the  range  on  the  road  where  the 
trucks  had  to  pass,  and  especially  in  exposed  places  and 
on  cross-roads  a  man  had  no  chance  if  he  paused.  Once 
he  had  been  sighted  by  the  enemy  he  was  done  for.  A 
man  driving  on  a  hasty  errand  once  dropped  his  crank, 


196  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

and  stopped  his  truck  to  pick  it  up.  Even  as  he  stooped 
to  take  it  a  shell  struck  his  truck  and  smashed  it  to  bits. 

Most  of  the  travelling  had  to  be  done  at  night.  Silently, 
without  a  light  over  roads  as  dark  as  pitch,  where  the  only 
possible  guide  was  the  faint  line  above  where  the  trees 
parted  and  showed  the  sky;  over  rough,  muddy  roads, 
filled  with  shell-holes,  the  trucks  went  nightly.  Just  fall 
in  line,  keep  to  the  right,  and  whistle  softly  when  some- 
thing got  in  the  way.  No  claxon  horns  could  be  used,  for 
that  was  the  gas  alarm.  A  man  could  not  even  wear  a 
radiolight  watch  on  his  wrist  or  a  driver  smoke  a  cigarette. 

One  very  dark  night  a  truck  came  through  with  a 
man  sitting  away  out  on  the  radiator  watching  the  road 
and  telling  the  driver  where  to  go.  The  only  light  would 
be  from  shells  exploding  or  occasional  signal  lights  for 
a  moment. 

To  get  supplies  from  where  they  were  to  where  they  were 
needed  was  an  urgent  necessity  which  often  arose  with  but 
momentary  warning — frequently  with  no  warning  at  all. 
The  American  front  was  a  matter  not  of  miles,  but  of  hun- 
dreds of  miles,  and  the  call  for  supplies  might  come  from 
any  point  along  that  front.  Sometimes  the  call  meant 
the  immediate  shipment  of  tons  of  blankets,  oranges, 
lemons,  sugar,  flour  for  doughnuts,  lard,  chocolate  and 
other  materials,  to  a  point  200  miles  distant.  At  times  a 
railroad  may  supply  a  part  of  the  route,  but  always  there 
is  a  long,  dangerous  truck  haul,  and  usually  the  entire 
route  must  be  covered  by  truck. 

During  the  winter  there  were  many  thrills  added  to 
the  already  strenuous  task  of  the  Salvation  Army  truck 
drivers.  One  of  them  driving  late  at  night  in  a  snow- 
storm, mistook  a  river  for  the  road  for  which  he  was 
searching,  and  turned  from  the  real  road  to  the  enow- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  197 

covered  surface  of  the  river,  which  he  folio-wed  for  some 
little  distance  before  discovering  his  mistake.  Fortunately, 
the  ice  was  solid  and  the  truck  unloaded — an  unusual 
combination. 

Another  missed  the  road  and  drove  into  a  field,  where 
his  wheels  bogged  down.  His  fellow-traveller,  driving  a 
Ford,  went  for  help,  leaving  him  with  his  truck,  for  if  it 
had  been  left  unguarded  it  would  have  soon  been  stripped 
of  every  movable  part  by  passing  truck  drivers.  Here  he 
remained  for  almost  forty-eight  hours,  during  which  time 
there  was  considerable  shelling. 

A  Catholic  Chaplain  told  the  Salvation  Army  Staff- 
Captain  that  he  thought  the  reason  the  Salvation  Army 
was  so  popular  with  his  men  was  because  the  Salvation 
Army  kept  its  promises  to  the  men. 

When  the  Salvation  Army  officer  went  to  open  work  in 
the  town  of  Baccarat  it  was  so  crowded  that  he  was  unable 
to  secure  accommodations.  He  was  having  dinner  in  the 
cafe,  but  could  get  no  bread  because  he  had  no  bread  tickets 
The  local  K.  of  C.  man,  observing  his  difficulty,  supplied 
tickets,  and,  finding  that  he  had  no  place  to  sleep,  offered 
to  share  his  own  meagre  accommodations.  For  several 
nights  he  shared  his  bed  with  him  and  the  Salvation  Army 
officer  was  greatly  assisted  by  him  in  many  ways.  The  Sal- 
vation Army  is  popular  not  alone  among  the  soldiers. 

While  the  offensive  was  on  in  Argonne  and  north  of 
Verdun,  those  who  were  in  the  huts  in  the  old  training 
area,  which  were  then  used  as  rest  buildings,  decided  to  do 
something  for  the  boys,  and  on  one  occasion  they  fried 
fourteen  thousand  doughnuts  and  took  them  to  the  boys 
at  the  front.  They  traveled  in  the  trucks,  and  distributed 
the  doughnuts  to  the  boys  as  they  came  from  the  trenches 
and  sent  others  into  the  trenches. 


198  THE  WAR  ROMANCE 

By  the  time  they  were  through,  the  day  was  far  spent 
and  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  find  some  place  to  stay 
over  night.  Verdun  was  the  only  large  city  anywhere 
near  but  it  had  either  been  largely  destroyed  or  the  civil 
population  had  long  since  abandoned  it  and  there  was  no 
place  available. 

Underneath  the  trenches,  however,  there  had  been  con- 
structed in  ancient  times,  underground  passages.  There 
are  fifty  miles  of  these  underground  galleries  honeycombed 
beneath  the  city,  sufficiently  large  to  shelter  the  entire 
population.  There  are  cross  sections  of  galleries,  between 
the  longer  passage  ways,  and  winding  stairways  here  and 
there.  Air  is  supplied  by  a  system  of  pumps.  There  are 
theatres  and  a  church,  also.  The  Army  protecting  Verdun 
had  occupied  these  underground  passages. 

When  the  officer  commanding  the  French  troops  learned 
that  the  Salvation  Army  girls  were  obliged  to  stay  over 
night,  he  arranged  for  their  accommodation  in  the  under- 
ground passage  and  here  they  rested  in  perfect  security  with 
such  comforts  as  cots  and  blankets  could  insure. 

It  was  said  that  they  were  the  only  women  ever  per- 
mitted to  remain  in  these  underground  passages. 


VII. 

THE  CHATEAU-THIERRY-SOISSONS  DBIVB. 

WHEN  the  trouble  at  Seicheprey  broke  out  the  Germans 
began  shelling  Beaumont  and  Mandres,  and  things  took 
on  a  very  serious  look  for  the  Salvation  Army.  Then  the 
Military  Colonel  gave  an  order  for  the  girls  to  leave  Ansau- 
ville,  and  loading  them  up  on  a  truck  he  sent  them  to 
Menil-la-Tour.  They  never  allowed  girls  again  in  that 
town  until  after  the  St.  Mihiel  drive. 

That  was  a  wild  ride  in  the  night  for  those  girls  sitting 
in  an  army  truck,  jolted  over  shell  holes  with  the  roar  of 
battle  all  about  them ;  the  blackness  of  night  on  every  side, 
shells  bursting  often  near  them,  yet  they  were  as  calm  as  if 
nothing  were  the  matter;  finally  the  car  got  stuck  under 
range  of  the  enemy's  fire,  but  they  never  flinched  and  they 
sat  quietly  in  the  car  in  a  most  dangerous  position  for 
twenty  minutes  while  the  Colonel  and  the  Captain  were 
out  locating  a  dugout.  Plucky  little  girls ! 

The  Salvation  Army  Staff-Captain  of  that  zone  went 
back  in  the  morning  to  Ansauville  to  get  the  girls'  personal 
belongings,  and  when  he  entered  the  canteen  he  stood  still 
and  looked  about  him  with  horror  and  thankfulness  as  he 
realized  the  narrow  escape  those  girls  had  had.  The  win- 
dows and  roof  were  full  of  shell  holes.  Shrapnel  had  pene- 
trated everywhere.  He  went  about  to  examine  and  took 
pieces  of  shrapnel  out  of  the  flour  and  sugar  and  coffee 
which  had  gone  straight  through  the  tin  containers.  The 
vanilla  bottles  were  broken  and  there  was  shrapnel  in  the 
vanilla,  shrapnel  was  embedded  in  the  wooden  tops  of  the 
tables,  and  in  the  walls. 

He  went  to  the  billet  where  two  of  the  girls  had  slept. 

199 


200  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Opposite  their  bed  on  the  other  side  of  the  room  was  a 
window  and  over  the  bed  was  a  large  picture.  A  shell  had 
passed  through  the  window  and  smashed  the  picture,  shat- 
tering the  glass  in  fragments  all  over  the  bed.  Another 
shell  had  entered  the  window,  passed  over  the  pillows  of  the 
bed  and  gone  out  through  the  wall  by  the  bed.  It  would 
have  gone  through  the  temples  of  any  sleeper  in  that  bed. 
After  this  they  kept  men  in  Ansauville  instead  of  girls. 

The  next  day  the  girls  opened  up  the  canteen  at  Menil- 
la-Tour  as  calmly  as  if  nothing  had  happened  the  day 
before. 

The  boys  were  going  down  to  Nevillers  to  rest,  and 
while  they  rested  the  girls  cooked  good  things  for  them 
and  used  that  sweet  God-given  influence  that  makes  a  little 
piece  of  home  and  heaven  wherever  it  is  found. 

The  girls  did  not  get  much  rest,  but  then  they  had  not 
come  to  France  to  rest,  as  they  often  told  people  who  were 
always  urging  them  to  save  themselves.  They  did  get  one 
bit  of  luxury  in  the  shape  of  passes  down  to  Beauvais. 
There  it  was  possible  to  get  a  bath  and  the  girls  had  not 
been  able  to  have  that  from  the  first  of  April  to  the  first  of 
July.  They  had  to  stand  in  line  with  the  officers,  it  is  true, 
to  take  their  turn  at  the  public  bath  houses,  but  it  was  a 
real  delight  to  have  plenty  of  water  for  once,  for  their 
appointments  at  the  front  had  been  most  restricted  and 
water  a  scarce  commodity.  Sometimes  it  had  been  diffi- 
cult to  get  enough  water  for  the  cooking  and  the  girls  had 
been  obliged  to  use  cold  cream  to  wash  their  faces  for  sev- 
eral days  at  a  time.  Of  course,  it  was  an  impossibility 
for  them  to  do  any  laundry  work  for  themselves,  as  there 
was  neither  time  nor  place  nor  facilities.  Their  laundry 
was  always  carried  by  courier  to  some  near-by  city  and 
brought  back  to  them  in  a  few  days. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  201 

The  Zone  Major  had  supper  with  the  Colonel,  who  told 
him  that  none  of  the  organizations  would  be  allowed  on  the 
drive.  The  Zone  Major  asked  if  they  might  be  allowed  to 
go  as  far  as  Crepy.  The  Colonel  much  excited  said :  "  Man, 
don't  you  know  that  town  is  being  shelled  every  night  ?  " 
The  next  morning  a  party  of  sixteen  Salvation  Army  men 
and  women  started  out  in  the  truck  for  Crepy.  It  was  a 
beautiful  day  and  they  rode  all  day  long.  At  nightfall 
they  reached  the  village  of  Crepy  where  they  were  wel- 
comed eagerly.  The  Zone  Major  had  to  leave  and  go  back 
and  wanted  them  all  to  stay  there,  but  they  were  unwilling 
to  do  so  because  their  own  outfit  was  going  over  the  top 
that  night  and  they  wanted  to  be  with  them  before  they  left. 
They  started  from  Crepy  about  five  o'clock  and  got  lost  in 
the  woods,  but  finally,  after  wandering  about  for  some  hours, 
landed  in  Roy  St.  Nicholas  where  was  the  outfit  to  which 
one  of  the  girls  belonged. 

The  Salvation  Army  boys  had  just  pulled  in  with  another 
truck  and  were  getting  ready  for  the  night,  for  they  always 
slept  in  their  trucks.  The  girls  decided  to  sit  down  in  the 
road  until  the  billeting  officer  arrived,  but  time  passed  and 
no  billeting  officer  came.  They  were  growing  very  weary,  so 
they  got  into  the  Colonel's  car,  which  stood  at  the  roadside, 
and  went  to  sleep.  A  little  later  the  billeting  officer  appeared 
with  many  apologies  and  offered  to  take  them  to  the  billet 
that  had  been  set  aside  for  them.  They  took  their  rolls 
of  blankets,  and  climbed  sleepily  out  of  the  car,  following 
him  two  blocks  down  the  street  to  an  old  building.  But 
when  they  reached  there  they  found  that  some  French 
officers  had  taken  possession  and  were  fast  asleep,  so  they 
went  back  to  the  car  and  slept  till  morning.  At  daylight 
they  went  down  to  a  brook  to  wash  but  found  that  the 
soldiers  were  there  ahead  of  them,  and  they  had  to  go 


202  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

back  and  be  content  with  freshening  up  with  cold  cream. 
Thus  did  these  lassies,  accustomed  to  daintiness  in  their 
daily  lives,  accommodate  themselves  to  the  necessities  of 
war,  as  easily  and  cheerfully  as  the  soldier  boys  themselves. 

That  day  the  rest  of  the  outfits  arrived,  and  they  all 
pulled  into  Morte  Fontaine. 

Morte  Fontaine  was  well  named  because  there  was  no 
water  in  the  town  fit  to  use. 

The  girls  felt  they  were  needed  nearer  the  front,  so 
they  went  to  Major  Peabody  and  asked  permission. 

"  I  should  say  not ! "  he  replied  vigorously  with  yet  a 
twinkle  of  admiration  for  the  brave  lassies.  "  But  you  can 
take  anything  you  want  in  this  town." 

So  the  girls  went  out  and  found  an  old  building.  It 
was  very  dirty  but  they  went  cheerfully  to  work,  cleaned 
it  up,  and  started  their  canteen. 

There  was  a  hospital  in  the  town;  they  knew  that  by 
the  many  ambulances  that  were  continually  going  back  and 
forth;  so  they  offered  their  services  to  the  doctors,  which 
were  eagerly  accepted.  After  that  they  took  turns  staying 
in  the  canteen  and  going  to  the  hospital. 

The  hospital  was  fearfully  crowded,  though  it  was  in 
no  measure  the  fault  of  the  hospital  authorities,  for  they 
were  doing  their  best,  working  with  all  their  might ;  but  it 
had  not  been  expected  that  there  would  be  so  many  wounded 
at  this  point  and  they  had  not  adequate  accommodations. 
Many  of  the  wounded  boys  were  lying  on  the  ground  in 
the  sun,  covered  with  blood  and  flies,  and  parched  with 
thirst  and  fever.  There  were  not  enough  ambulances  to 
carry  them  further  back  to  the  base  hospitals. 

The  girls  stretched  pieces  of  canvas  over  the  heads  of  the 
poor  boys  to  keep  off  the  sun;  they  got  water  and  washed 
away  the  blood;  and  they  sent  one  of  their  indefatigable 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  203 

truck  drivers  after  some  water  to  make  lemonade.  The 
little  Adjutant  twinkled  his  nice  brown  eyes  and  set  his 
firm  merry  lips  when  they  told  him  to  get  the  water,  in  that 
place  of  no  water,  but  he  took  his  little  Ford  car  and 
whirled  away  without  a  word,  and  presently  he  returned 
with  a  barrel  of  ice-cold  water  from  a  spring  he  had  found 
two  miles  away.  How  the  girls  rejoiced  that  it  was  ice 
cold!  And  then  they  started  making  lemonade.  They 
had  known  that  the  Adjutant  would  find  water  somewhere. 
He  was  the  man  the  doughboys  called  "  one  game  little 
guy,"  because  he  was  so  fearless  in  going  into  No  Man's 
Land  after  the  wounded,  so  indefatigible  in  accomplishing 
his  purpose  against  all  odds,  so  forgetful  of  self. 

They  had  but  one  crate  of  lemons,  one  crate  of  oranges 
and  one  bag  of  sugar  when  they  began  making  lemonade, 
but  before  they  needed  more  it  arrived  just  on  the  minute. 
It  was  almost  like  a  miracle.  For  a  whole  car  load  of 
oranges  and  lemons  had  been  shipped  to  Beauvais  and 
arrived  a  day  too  late — after  the  troops  had  gone.  They 
were  of  no  use  there,  so  the  Zone  Major  had  them  shipped 
at  once  to  the  railhead  at  Crepy,  and  got  a  special  permit 
to  go  over  with  trucks  and  take  them  up  to  Morte  Fontaine. 

The  Salvation  Army  never  does  things  by  halves.  Col- 
onel Barker  sent  to  Paris  to  get  some  mosquito  netting  to 
keep  the  flies  off  those  soldiers,  and  failing  to  find  any  in 
the  whole  city  he  bought  $10,000  worth  of  white  net,  such 
as  is  used  for  ladies'  collars  and  dresses — ten  thousand 
yards  at  a  dollar  a  yard — and  sent  it  down  to  the  hospital 
where  it  was  used  over  the  wounded  men,  sometimes  over 
a  wounded  arm  or  leg  or  head,  sometimes  over  a  whole  man, 
sometimes  stretched  as  netting  in  the  windows.  And  no  ten 
thousand  dollars  was  ever  better  spent,  for  the  flies  occas- 
ioned indescribable  suffering  as  well  as  the  peril  of  infection. 


204  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Wonderful  relief  and  comfort  all  these  things  brought 
to  those  poor  boys  lying  there  in  agony  and  fever.  How 
delicious  were  the  cooling  drinks  to  their  parched  lips! 
The  doctors  afterward  said  that  it  was  the  cool  drinks  those 
girls  gave  to  the  men  that  saved  many  a  life  that  day. 

There  were  some  poor  fellows  hurt  in  the  abdomen 
•who  were  not  allowed  to  drink  even  a  drop  and  who  begged 
for  it  so  piteously.  For  these  the  girls  did  all  in  their 
power.  They  bathed  their  faces  and  hands  and  dipping 
gauze  in  lemonade  they  moistened  their  lips  with  it. 

The  other  day,  after  the  war  was  over  and  a  ship  came 
sailing  into  New  York  harbor,  one  of  these  same  fellows 
standing  on  the  deck  looked  down  at  the  wharf  and  saw 
one  of  these  same  girls  standing  there  to  welcome  him.  As 
soon  as  he  was  free  to  leave  the  ship  he  rushed  down  to 
find  her,  and  gripping  her  hand  eagerly  he  cried  out  so  all 
around  could  hear :  "  You  saved  my  life  that  day.  Oh,  but 
I'm  glad  to  see  you!  The  doctor  said  it  was  that  cold 
lemonade  you  gave  me  that  kept  me  from  dying  of  fever !  " 

In  one  base  hospital  lay  a  boy  wounded  at  Chateau- 
Thierry.  Of  course,  when  wounded,  he  lost  all  his  pos- 
sessions, including  a  Testament  which  he  very  much  treas- 
ured. The  Salvation  Army  supplied  him  with  another,  but 
it  did  not  comfort  him  as  the  old  one  had  done.  He  said 
that  it  could  never  be  the  same  as  the  one  he  had  carried 
for  so  long.  He  worried  so  much  about  his  Testament,  that 
one  of  the  lassies  finally  attempted  to  recover  it,  and,  after 
much  trouble,  succeeded  through  the  Bureau  of  Effects. 
The  little  book,  which  the  soldier  had  always  carried  with 
him,  was  blood-soaked  and  mud-stained;  but  it  was  an 
unmistakable  aid  in  the  lad's  recovery. 

But  the  honor  of  those  days  in  Morte  Fontaine  was  not 
all  due  to  the  Salvation  Army  lassies.  The  Salvation  Army 
truck  drivers  were  real  heroes.  They  came  with  their 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  205 

ambulances  and  their  trucks  and  they  carried  the  poor 
wounded  fellows  back  to  the  base  hospitals.  The  hospitals 
were  full  everywhere  near  there,  and  sometimes  they  would 
go  from  one  to  another  and  have  to  drive  miles,  and  even 
go  from  one  town  to  another  to  find  a  place  where  there  was 
room  to  receive  the  men  they  carried.  Then  back  they 
would  come  for  another  load.  They  worked  thus  for  three 
days  and  five  nights  steadily,  before  they  slept,  and  some  of 
them  stripped  to  the  waist  and  bared  their  breasts  to  the 
sharp  night  wind  so  that  the  cold  air  would  keep  them 
awake  to  the  task  of  driving  their  cars  through  the  black 
night  with  its  precious  load  of  human  lives.  They  had  no 
opportunity  for  rest  of  any  kind,  no  chance  to  shave  or 
wash  or  sleep,  and  they  were  a  haggard  and  worn  looking 
set  of  men  when  it  was  over. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  the  Zone  Major  kept  out  of 
eight  of  the  Colonel  who  had  told  him  he  couldn't  go  out 
on  that  drive;  but  two  days  later  he  saw  his  familiar  car 
coming  down  the  road  and  the  Colonel  seemed  greatly  agi- 
tated. He  was  shaking  his  fist  in  front  of  him. 

The  Zone  Major  pondered  whether  he  would  not  better 
drive  right  on  without  stopping  to  talk,  but  he  reflected  that 
he  would  have  to  take  his  punishment  some  time  and  he 
might  as  well  get  it  over  with,  so  when  the  Colonel's  car 
drew  near  he  stopped.  The  Colonel  got  out  and  the  Zone 
Major  got  out,  and  it  was  apparent  that  the  Colonel  was 
very  angry.  He  forgot  entirely  that  the  Zone  Major  was  a 
Salvationist  and  he  swore  roundly :  "  I'm  out  with  you 
for  life,"  declared  the  Colonel  angrily.  "  The  General's 
upset  and  I'm  upset." 

"Why,  whafs  the  matter,  Colonel?"  asked  the  Zone 
Major  innocently. 

"  Matter  enough !  You  had  no  business  to  bring  those 
girls  up  here ! " 


206  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  Colonel  said  more  to  the  same  effect,  and  then  got 
into  his  car  and  drove  off.  The  Zone  Major  wisely  kept  out 
of  his  way;  but  a  few  days  later  met  him  again  and  this 
time  the  Colonel  was  smiling : 

"  Dog-gone  you,  Major,  where've  you  been  keeping 
yourself?  Why  haven't  you  been  around?"  and  he  put 
out  his  hand  affably. 

"  Why,  I  didn't  want  to  see  a  man  who  bawled  me  out  in 
the  public  highway  that  way,"  said  the  Zone  Major. 

"  Well,  Major,  you  had  no  business  to  bring  those  girls 
up  here  and  you  know  it ! "  said  the  Colonel  rousing  to  the 
old  subject  again. 

'  Why  not,  Colonel,  didn't  they  do  fine  ?  " 

"  Yes,  they  did,"  said  the  Colonel  with  tears  springing 
suddenly  into  his  eyes  and  a  huskiness  into  his  voice,  "  but, 
Major,  think  what  if  we'd  lost  one  of  them !  " 

"  Colonel,"  said  the  Zone  Major  gently,  "  my  girls  are 
soldiers.  They  come  up  here  to  share  the  dangers  with  the 
soldiers,  and  as  long  as  they  can  be  of  service  they  feel  this 
is  the  place  for  them." 

The  Colonel  struggled  with  his  emotion  for  a  moment 
and  then  said  gruffly :  "  Had  anything  to  eat  ?  Stop  and 
take  a  bite  with  me."  And  they  sat  down  under  the  trees 
and  had  supper  together. 

It  was  at  this  town  that  the  girls  slept  in  a  German-dug 
cave,  in  which  our  boys  had  captured  seven  hundred  Ger- 
mans, the  commanding  officer  of  whom  said  that  according 
to  his  rank  in  Germany  he  ought  to  have  a  car  to  take  him 
to  the  rear.  However,  he  was  compelled  to  leg  it  at  the 
point  of  an  American  bayonet  in  the  hands  of  an  American 
doughboy.  The  cave  was  of  chalk  rock  made  to  store  casks 
of  wine. 

The  airplanes  were  bad  in  this  place.  One  speaks  of 
airplanes  in  such  a  connection  in  the  same  way  one  used  to 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  207 

mention  mosquitoes  at  certain  Jersey  seashore  resorts.  But 
they  were  particularly  bad  at  Morte  Fontaine,  and  Major 
Peabody  ordered  the  canteen  to  be  moved  out  of  the  village 
to  the  cave.  More  Salvation  Army  girls  came  to  look  after 
the  canteen  leaving  the  first  girls  free  for  longer  hours  at 
the  hospital. 

One  beautiful  moonlight  night  the  girls  had  just  started 
out  from  the  hospital  to  go  to  their  cave  when  they  heard  a 
German  airplane,  the  irregular  chug,  chug  of  its  engine 
distinguishing  it  unmistakably  from  the  smooth  whirr  of 
the  Allies'  planes.  The  girls  looked  up  and  almost  over 
their  heads  was  an  enemy  plane,  so  low  that  they  could  see 
the  insignia  on  his  machine,  and  see  the  man  in  the  car. 
He  seemed  to  be  looking  down  at  them.  In  sudden  panic 
they  fled  to  a  nearby  tree  and  hid  close  under  its  branches. 
Standing  there  they  saw  the  enemy  make  a  low  dip  over 
the  hospital  tents,  drop  a  bomb  in  the  kitchen  end  just 
where  they  had  been  working  five  minutes  before,  and 
slide  up  again  through  the  silvery  air,  curve  away  and  dive 
down  once  more. 

The  scene  was  bright  as  day  for  the  moon  was  full  and 
very  clear  that  night,  and  the  roads  stretched  out  in  every 
direction  like  white  ribbons.  One  block  away  the  girls 
could  see  a  regiment  of  Scotch  soldiers,  the  famous  High- 
land Regiment  called  "  The  Ladies  From  Hell,"  marching 
up  to  the  front  that  night,  and  singing  bravely  as  they 
marched,  their  skirling  Scotch  songs  accompanied  by  a 
bagpipe.  And  even  as  they  listened  with  bated  breath  and 
straining  eyes  the  airplane  dipped  and  dropped  another 
bomb  right  into  the  midst  of  the  brave  men,  killing  thirty 
of  them,  and  slid  up  and  away  before  it  could  be  stopped. 
These  were  the  scenes  to  which  they  grew  daily  accustomed 
as  they  plied  their  angel  mission,  and  daily  saw  themselves 
preserved  as  by  a  miracle  from  constant  peril. 


208  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

We  had  about  eight  or  ten  German  prisoners  here,  who 
were  employed  as  litter  bearers,  and  very  good  workers  they 
were,  tickled  to  death  to  be  there  instead  of  over  on  their 
own  side  fighting.  Most  of  the  prisoners,  except  some  of  the 
German  officers,  seemed  glad  to  be  taken. 

These  German  prisoners  were  sitting  in  a  row  on  the 
ground  outside  the  hospital  one  day  when  the  Salvation 
Army  girls  and  men  were  picking  over  a  crate  of  oranges. 
The  Germans  sat  watching  them  with  longing  eyes. 

"  Let's  give  them  each  one,"  proposed  one  of  the  girls. 

"  No !    Give  them  a  punch  in  the  nose !  "  said  the  boys. 

The  girls  said  nothing  more  and  went  on  working.  Pres- 
ently they  stepped  away  for  a  few  minutes  and  when  they 
came  back  the  Germans  sat  there  contentedly  eating 
oranges.  Questioningly  the  girls  looked  at  their  male  co- 
workers  and  with  lifted  brows  asked :  "  What  does  this 
mean  ?  " 

"  Aw,  well !  The  poor  sneaks  looked  so  longingly !  "  said 
one  of  the  boys,  grinning  sheepishly. 

There  in  the  hospital  the  girls  came  into  contact  with 
the  splendid  spirit  of  the  American  soldier  boys.  "  Don't 
help  me,  help  that  fellow  over  there  who  is  suffering !  "  was 
heard  over  and  over  again  when  they  went  to  bring  com- 
fort to  some  wounded  boy. 

When  the  supplies  in  the  canteen  would  run  out,  and 
the  last  doughnut  would  be  handed  with  the  words :  "  That's 
the  last,"  the  boy  to  whom  it  was  given  would  say :  "  Don't 
give  it  to  me,  give  it  to  Harry.  I  don't  want  it." 

It  was  during  that  drive  and  there  was  a  farewell  meet- 
ing at  one  of  the  Salvation  Army  huts  that  night  for  the 
boys  who  were  going  up  to  the  trenches.  It  was  a  beautiful 
and  touching  meeting  as  always  on  such  occasions.  Start- 
ing with  singing  whatever  the  boys  picked  out,  it  dropped 
quickly  into  the  old  hymns  that  the  boys  loved  and  then 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  209 

to  a  simple  earnest  prayer,  setting  forth  the  desperate  case 
of  those  who  were  going  out  to  fight,  and  appealing  to  the 
everlasting  Saviour  for  forgiveness  and  refuge.  They  lin- 
gered long  about  the  fair  young  girl  who  was  leading  them, 
listening  to  her  earnest,  plain  words  of  instruction  how  to 
turn  to  the  Saviour  of  the  world  in  their  need,  how  to  repent 
of  their  sins  and  take  Christ  for  their  Saviour  and  Sancti- 
fier.  No  man  who  was  in  that  meeting  would  dare  plead 
ignorance  of  the  way  to  be  saved.  Many  signified  their 
desire  to  give  their  lives  into  the  keeping  of  Christ  before 
they  went  to  the  front.  The  meeting  broke  up  reluctantly 
and  the  men  drifted  out  and  away,  expecting  soon  to  be 
called  to  go.  But  something  happened  that  they  did  not 
go  that  night.  Meantime,  a  company  had  just  returned 
from  the  front,  weary,  hungry,  worn  and  bleeding,  with 
their  nerves  unstrung,  and  their  spirits  desperate  from  the 
tumult  and  horror  of  the  hours  they  had  just  passed  in 
battle.  They  needed  cheering  and  soothing  back  to  nor- 
mal. The  girls  were  preparing  to  do  this  with  a  bright, 
cheery  entertainment,  when  a  deputation  of  boys  from  the 
night  before  returned.  There  was  a  wistful  gleam  in  the 
eyes  of  the  young  Jew  who  was  spokesman  for  the  group 
as  he  approached  the  lassie  who  had  led  the  meeting. 

"  Say,  Cap,  you  see  we  didn't  go  up." 

"I  see,"  she  smiled  happily. 

"Say,  Cap,  won't  you  have  another  farewell  meeting 
to-night?"  he  asked  with  an  appealing  glance  in  his 
dark  eyes. 

"  Son,  we've  arranged  something  else  just  now  for  the 
fellows  who  are  coming  back,"  she  said  gently,  for  she 
hated  to  refuse  such  a  request. 

"Oh,  say,  Cap,  you  can  have  that  later,  can't  you? 
We  want  another  meeting  now." 

There  was  something  so  pleading  in  his  voice  and 
14" 


ayes,  so  hungry  in  the  look  of  the  waiting  group,  that  the 
joung  Captain  could  not  deny  him.  She  looked  at  him 
hesitatingly,  and  then  said:  i 

"  All  right.    Go  out  and  tell  the  boys." 

He  hurried  out  and  soon  the  company  came  crowding 
in.  That  hour  the  very  Lord  came  down  and  com- 
muned with  them  as  they  sang  and  knelt  to  pray,  and 
not  a  heart  but  was  melted  and  tender  as  they  went  out 
when  it  was  over  in  the  solemn  darkness  of  the  early  morn- 
ing. A  little  later  the  order  came  and  they  "  went  over." 

It  was  a  sharp,  fierce  fight,  and  the  young  Jew  was 
mortally  wounded.  Some  comrades  found  him  w  he  lay 
white  and  helpless  on  the  ground,  and  bending  orer  saw 
that  he  had  not  long  to  stay.  They  tried  to  lift  him  and 
bear  him  back,  but  he  would  not  let  them.  He  knew  it 
was  useless. 

They  asked  him  if  he  had  any  message.  He  nodded. 
Yes,  he  wanted  to  send  a  message  to  the  Salvation  Army 
girls.  It  was  this : 

"Tell  the  girls  I've  gone  West;  for  I  will  be  by  the 
time  you  tell  them;  and  tell  them  it's  all  right  for  at  that 
second  meeting  I  accepted  Christ  and  I  die  resting  on  the 
same  Saviour  that  is  theirs." 

One  of  our  wonderful  boys  out  on  the  drive  had  his 
hand  blown'  off  and  didn't  realize  it.  His  chum  tried  to 
drag  him  back  and  told  him  his  hand  was  gone. 

"  That's  nothing !  "  he  cried.    "  Tie  it  up ! " 

But  they  forced  him  back  lest  he  would  bleed  to  death. 
In  the  hospital  they  told  him  that  now  he  might  go  home. 

"  Go  home !  "  he  cried.  "  Go  home  for  the  loss  of  a 
left  hand !  I'm  not  left-handed.  Maybe  I  can't  carry  a 
gun,  but  I  can  throw  hand  grenades ! " 

He  went  to  the  Major  and  the  Major  said  also  that  he 
must  go  home. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  211 

The  boy  looked  him  straight  in  the  eye : 

"  Excuse  me,  Major,  saying  I  won't.  But  I  won't  let 
go  your  coat  till  you  say  I  can  stay,"  and  finally  the  Major 
had  to  give  in  and  let  him  stay.  He  could  not  resist  such 
pleading. 

One  poor  fellow,  wounded  in  his  abdomen,  was  lying 
on  a  litter  in  a  most  uncomfortable  position  suffering  awful  • 
pain.  The  lassie  came  near  and  asked  if  she  could  do  any-j 
thing  for  him.  He  told  her  he  wanted  to  lie  on  his  stom- 
ach, but  the  doctor,  when  she  asked  him,  said  "  No  "  very 
shortly  and  told  her  he  must  lie  on  his  back.  She  stooped 
and  turned  him  so  that  his  position  was  more  comfortable, 
put  his  gas  mask  under  his  head,  rolled  his  blanket  so  as 
to  support  his  shoulders  better,  and  turned  to  go  to  another, 
and  the  poor  suffering  lad  opened  his  eyes,  held  out  his 
hand  and  smiled  as  she  went  away. 

The  doctors  said  to  the  girls :  "  It  is  wonderful  to  have 
you  around." 

The  Eed  Cross  men  and  their  rolling  kitchens  came  to 
the  front,  but  no  women.  Somehow  in  pain  and  sickness 
no  hand  can  sooth  like  a  woman's.  Perhaps  God  meant 
it  to  be  so.  Here  at  Morte  Fontaine  was  the  first  time  a 
woman  had  ever  worked  in  a  field  hospital. 

The  Salvation  Army  women  worked  all,  that  drive. 

It  was  a  sad  time,  though,  for  the  division  went  in  to 
stay  until  they  lost  forty-five  hundred  men,  but  it  stayed 
two  days  after  reaching  that  figure  and  lost  about  seventy- 
five  thousand. 

The  doctor  in  charge  of  the  evacuation  hospital  at 
Crepy  spoke  of  the  effect  of  the  Salvation  Army  girls,  not 
alone  upon  the  wounded,  but  also  upon  the  medical-surgical 
staff  and  the  men  of  the  hospital  corps  who  acted  as  nurses 
in  that  advanced  position.  "Before  they  came,"  he  said, 


212  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"we  were  overwrought,  everyone  seemed  at  the  breaking 
point,  what  with  the  nervous  tension  and  danger.  But  the 
very  sight  of  women  working  calmly  had  a  soothing  effect 
on  everyone." 

When  the  drive  was  over  orders  came  to  leave.  The 
following  is  the  official  notice  to  the  Salvation  Army 
officers : 

G-l  Headquarters,  1st  Division, 

American  Expeditionary  Forces, 

July  26,  1918. 
Memorandum. 

To  Directors,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Red  Cross,  Salvation 
Army  Services,  1st  Division. 

1.  This  division  moves  by  rail  to  destination  unknown 
beginning  at  6.00  A.M.,  July  28th.    Motor  organizations  of 
the  Division  move  overland.     Your  motorized  units  will 
accompany  the  advanced  section  of  the  Division  Supply 
Train,  and  will  form  a  part  of  that  train. 

2.  Time  of  departure  and  routes  to  be  taken  will  be 
announced  later. 

3.  Secretaries  attached  to  units  may  accompany  units, 
if  it  is  so  desired. 

By  command  of  Major-General  Summerall. 

P.  E.  Peabody, 

Captain,  Infantry, 
Copies :  G-l 

YMCA 
Bed  Cross 
Salvation  Army 
G-3 

C.  of  S. 
File 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  213 

The  girls  stowed  themselves  and  their  belongings  into 
the  big  truck.  Just  as  they  were  about  to  start  they  saw 
some  infantry  coming,  seven  men  whom  they  knew,  but  in 
such  a  plight!  They  were  unshaven,  with  white,  sunken 
faces,  and  great  dark  hollows  under  their  eyes.  They  were 
simply  "  all  in,"  and  could  hardly  walk. 

Without  an  instant's  hesitation  the  girls  made  a  place 
for  those  poor,  tired,  dirty  men  in  the  truck,  and  the  invita- 
tion was  gratefully  accepted. 

There  were  more  poor  forlorn  fellows  coming  along 
the  road.  They  kept  meeting  them  every  little  way,  but 
they  had  no  room  to  take  in  any  more  so  they  piled 
oranges  in  the  back  end  of  the  truck  and  gave  them  to  all 
the  boys  they  passed  who  were  walking. 

Now  the  girls  were  on  their  way  to  Senlis,  where  they 
had  planned  to  take  dinner  at  a  hotel  in  which  they  had 
dined  before.  It  was  one  of  the  few  buildings  remaining 
in  the  town  for  the  Germans,  when  they  left  Senlis,  had  set 
it  on  fire  and  destroyed  nearly  everything.  But  as  the  girls 
neared  the  town  they  began  to  think  about  the  boys  asleep 
in  the  back  of  the  truck,  who  probably  hadn't  had  a  square 
meal  for  a  week,  and  they  decided  to  take  them  with  them. 
So  they  woke  them  up  when  they  arrived  at  the  hotel.  Oh, 
but  those  seven  dirty,  unshaven  soldiers  were  embarrassed 
with  the  invitation  to  dinner !  At  first  they  declined,  but 
the  girls  insisted,  and  they  found  a  place  to  wash  and  tidy 
up  themselves  a  bit.  In  a  few  minutes  into  the  big  dining- 
room  filled  with  French  soldiers  and  a  goodly  sprinkling 
of  French  officers,  marched  those  two  girls,  followed  by 
their  seven  big  unshaven  soldiers  with  their  white  faces 
and  hollow  eyes,  sat  proudly  down  at  a  table  in  the  very 
centre  and  ordered  a  big  dinner.  That  is  the  kind  of 
girls  Salvation  Army  lassies  are.  Never  ashamed  to  do  a 
big  right  thing. 


214  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

After  the  dinner  they  took  the  boys  to  their  divisional 
headquarters,  where  they  found  their  outfit. 

They  went  on  their  way  from  Senlis  to  Dam-Martia. 
to  stay  for  a  week  back  of  the  lines  for  rest. 

There  was  a  big  French  cantonment  building  here  built 
for  moving  pictures,  which  was  given  to  them  for  a  can- 
teen, and  they  set  up  their  etove  and  went  to  work  making 
doughnuts,  and  doing  all  the  helpful  things  they  could 
find  to  do  for  the  boys  who  were  soon  to  go  to  the  front 
again. 

Then  orders  came  to  move  back  to  the  Toul  Sector. 

Those  were  wonderful  moonlight  nights  at  Saizerais, 
but  the  Boche  airplanes  nearly  pestered  the  life  out  of 
everybody. 

"  Gee ! "  said  one  of  the  boys,  "  if  anybody  ever  says 
*  beautiful  moonlight  nights'  to  me  when  I  get  home  I 
don't  know  what  I'll  do  to  'em ! " 

The  boys  were  at  the  front,  but  not  fighting  as  yet. 
Occasional  shells  would  burst  about  their  hut  here  and 
there,  but  the  girls  were  not  much  bothered  by  them.  The 
thing  that  bothered  them  most  was  an  old  "Vin"  shop 
across  the  street  that  served  its  wine  on  little  tables  set 
out  in  front  on  the  sidewalk.  They  could  not  help  seeing 
that  many  of  the  boys  were  beginning  to  drink.  Poor  souls ! 
The  water  was  bad  and  scarce,  sometimes  poisoned,  and 
their  hearts  were  sick  for  something,  and  this  was  all  that 
presented  itself.  It  was  not  much  wonder.  But  when  the 
girls  discovered  the  state  of  things  they  sent  off  three  or 
four  boys  with  a  twenty-gallon  tank  to  scout  for  some  water. 
They  found  it  after  much  search  and  filled  the  big  tank  full 
ef  delicious  lemonade,  telling  the  boys  to  help  themselves. 

All  the  time  they  were  in  that  town,  vliieh  was  some- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  215 

thing  like  a  week,  the  girls  kept  that  tank  full  of  lemon- 
ade close  by  the  door.  They  must  have  made  seventy-fire 
or  a  hundred  gallons  of  lemonade  every  day,  and  they  had 
to  squeeze  all  the  lemons  by  hand,  too !  They  told  the  boys : 
"  When  you  feel  thirsty  just  come  here  and  get  lemonade 
as  often  as  you  want  it !  "  No  wonder  they  almost  worship 
those  girls.  And  they  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  trade 
of  the  little  wine  shop  decidedly  decrease. 

However  near  the  front  you  may  go  you  will  always 
find  what  is  known  over  there  in  common  parlance  as  a 
"  hole  in  the  wall "  where  "  vin  blanche  "  and  "  vin  rouge  " 
and  all  kinds  of  light  wines  can  be  had.  And,  of  course, 
many  soldiers  would  drink  it.  The  Salvation  Army  tried 
to  supply  a  great  need  by  having  carloads  of  lemons  sent  to 
the  front  and  making  and  distributing  lemonade  freely. 

One  cannot  realize  the  extent  of  this  proposition  with- 
out counting  up  all  the  lemons  and  sugar  that  would  be 
required,  and  remembering  that  supplies  were  obtained 
only  by  keeping  in  constant  touch  with  the  Headquarters 
of  that  zone  and  always  sending  word  immediately  when 
any  need  was  discovered.  There  is  nothing  slow  about 
the  Salvation  Army  and  they  are  not  troubled  with  too 
much  red  tape.  If  necessity  presents  itself  they  will  even 
on  occasion  cut  what  they  have  to  help  someone. 

The  airplanes  visited  them  every  night  that  week,  and 
sometimes  they  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  go  to  bed  at 
all;  they  had  to  run  to  the  safety  trenches  so  often.  It  was 
just  a  little  bit  of  a  village  with  dugouts  out  on  the  edge. 

One  night  they  had  gone  to  bed  and  a  terrific  explosion 
occurred  which  rocked  the  little  house  where  they  were. 
They  thought  of  course  the  bomb  had  fallen  in  the  vil- 
lage, but  they  found  it  was  quite  outside.  It  had  made 


216  THE  WAR  ROMANCE 

such  a  big  hole  in  the  ground  that  you  could  put  a  whole 
truck  into  it. 

The  trenches  in  which  they  hid  were  covered  over  with 
boards  and  sand,  and  were  not  bomb  proof,  but  they  were 
proof  against  pieces  of  shell  and  shrapnel. 

It  was  a  very  busy  time  for  the  girls  because  so  many 
different  outfits  were  passing  and  repassing  that  they  had 
to  work  from  morning  early  till  late  at  night. 

At  Bullionville  the  hut  was  in  a  building  that  bore  the 
marks  of  much  shelling.  The  American  boys  promptly 
dubbed  the  place  "  Souptown." 

The  Division  moved  to  Vaucouleurs  for  rest  and  re- 
placements. At  Vaucouleurs  there  was  a  great  big  hut  with 
a  piano,  a  victrola,  and  a  cookstove. 

They  started  the  canteen,  made  doughnuts  and  pies, 
and  gave  entertainments. 

But  best  of  all,  there  were  wonderful  meetings  and 
numbers  of  conversions,  often  twenty  and  twenty-five  at  a 
time  giving  themselves  to  Christ.  The  boys  would  get  up 
and  testify  of  their  changed  feelings  and  of  what  Christ 
now  meant  to  them,  and  the  others  respected  them  the 
more  for  it. 

They  stayed  here  two  weeks  and  everybody  knew  they 
were  getting  ready  for  a  big  drive.  It  was  a  solemn  time 
for  the  boys  and  they  seemed  to  draw  nearer  to  the  Salva- 
tion Army  people  and  long  to  get  the  secret  of  their  brave, 
unselfish  lives,  and  that  light  in  their  eyes  that  defied 
danger  and  death.  In  the  distance  you  could  hear  the 
artillery,  and  the  night  before  they  left,  all  night  long, 
there  was  the  tramp,  tramp,  tramp  of  feet,  the  boys 
"  going  up." 

The  next  day  the  girls  followed  in  a  truck,  stopping  a 
few  days  at  Pagny-sur-Meuse  for  rest. 


VIII. 

THE  SAINT  MIHIEL  DRIVE. 

THE  hut  in  Baulecourt  was  an  old  French  barracks. 
Outside  in  the  yard  was  an  old  French  anti-aircraft  gun 
and  a  mesh  of  barbed  wire  entanglement.  The  woods  all 
around  was  filled  with  our  guns.  To  the  left  was  the 
enemy's  third  line  trench.  Three-quarters  of  the  time  the 
Boche  were  trying  to  clean  us  up.  Less  than  two  miles 
ahead  were  our  own  front  line  trenches. 

The  field  range  was  outside  in  the  back  yard. 

One  hot  day  in  July  a  Salvation  Army  woman  stood 
at  the  range  frying  doughnuts  from  eleven  in  the  morning 
until  six  at  night  without  resting,  and  scarcely  stopping 
for  a  bite  to  eat.  She  fried  seventeen  hundred  doughnuts, 
and  was  away  from  the  stove  only  twice  for  a  few  minutes. 
She  claims,  however,  that  she  is  not  the  champion  doughnut 
fryer.  The  champion  fried  twenty-three  hundred  in  a  day. 

One  day  a  soldier  watching  her  tired  face  as  she  stood 
at  the  range  lifting  out  doughnuts  and  plopping  more  un- 
cooked ones  into  the  fat,  protested. 

"  Say,  you're  awfully  tired  turning  over  doughnuts. 
Let  me  help  you.  You  go  inside  and  rest  a  while.  I'm 
sure  I  can  do  'that." 

She  was  tired  and  the  boy  looked  eager,  so  she  decided 
to  accept  his  offer.  He  was  very  insistent  that  she  go  away 
and  rest,  so  she  slipped  in  behind  a  screen  to  lie  down,  but 
peeped  out  to  watch  how  he  was  getting  on.  She  saw  him 
turn  over  the  first  doughnuts  all  right  and  drain  them, 
but  he  almost  burned  his  fingers  trying  to  eat  one  before  it 
was  fairly  out  of  the  fat ;  and  then  she  understood  why  he 
had  been  so  anxious  for  her  to  "  go  away  "  and  rest. 

Often  the  boys  would  come  to  the  lassies  and  say :  "  Say, 
217 


218  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Cap,  I  can  help  you.  Loan  me  an  apron."  And  soon  they 
would  be  all  flour  from  their  chin  to  their  toes. 

They  would  come  about  four  o'clock  to  find  out  what 
time  the  doughnuts  would  be  ready  for  serving,  and  the 
girls  usually  said  six  o'clock  so  that  they  would  be  able  to 
fry  enough  to  supply  all  the  regiment.  But  the  men  would 
start  to  line  up  at  half -past  four,  knowing  that  they  could 
not  be  served  until  six,  so  eager  were  they  for  these  deli- 
cacies. When  six  o'clock  came  each  man  would  get  three 
doughnuts  and  a  cup  of  delicious  coffee  or  chocolate.  A 
great  many  doughnut  cutters  were  worn  out  as  the  days 
went  by  and  the  boys  frequently  had  to  get  a  new  cutter 
made.  Sometimes  they  would  take  the  top  of  quite  a  large- 
sized  can  or  anything  tin  that  they  could  lay  hands  on  from 
which  to  make  it.  One  boy  found  the  top  of  an  extra  large 
sized  baking  powder  tin  and  took  it  to  have  a  smaller  cutter 
soldered  in  the  centre.  Sometimes  they  used  the  top  of  the 
shaving  soap  box  for  this.  When  he  got  back  to  the  hut  the 
cook  exclaimed  in  dismay :  "  Why,  but  it's  too  big !  " 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,"  said  the  doughboy  nonchalantly. 
"That'll  be  all  the  better  for  us.  We'll  get  more  dough- 
nut. You  always  give  us  three  anyway,  you  know.  The 
size  don't  count." 

They  were  always  scheming  to  get  more  pie  and  more 
doughnuts  and  would  stand  in  line  for  hours  for  a  second 
helping.  One  day  the  Salvation  Army  woman  grew  indig- 
nant over  a  noticeably  red-headed  boy  who  had  had  three 
helpings  and  was  lining  up  for  a  fourth.  She  stood  majes- 
tically at  the  head  of  the  line  and  pointed  straight  at  him : 
"  You !  With  the  red  head  down  there !  Get  out  of  the 
line!" 

"  She's  got  my  number  all  right !  "  said  the  red-headed 
one,  grinning  sheepishly  as  he  dropped  back. 

The  town  of  Raulecourt  was  often  ghelled,  but  one 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  9,19 

morning  just  before  daybreak  the  enemy  started  in  to  shell 
it  in  earnest.  Word  came  that  the  girls  had  better  leave 
as  it  was  very  dangerous  to  remain,  but  the  girls  thought 
otherwise  and  refused  to  leave.  One  might  have  thought 
they  considered  that  they  were  real  soldiers,  and  the  fate 
of  the  day  depended  upon  them.  And  perhaps  more  de- 
pended upon  them  than -they  knew.  However  that  was  they 
stayed,  having  been  through  such  experiences  before.  For 
the  older  woman,  however,  it  was  a  first  experience.  She 
took  it  calmly  enough,  going  about  her  business  as  if  she, 
too,  were  an  old  soldier. 

On  the  evening  of  June  14th  they  made  fudge  for  the 
boys  who  were  going  to  leave  that  night  for  the  front  lines. 

For  several  hours  the  tables  in  the  hut  were  filled  with 
men  writing  letters  to  loved  ones  at  home,  and  the  women 
and  girls  had  sheets  of  paper  filled  with  addresses  to  which 
they  had  promised  to  write  if  the  boys  did  not  come  back. 

At  last  one  of  the  men  got  up  with  his  finished  letter 
and  quietly  removed  the  phonograph  and  a  few  of  its  dev- 
oiees  who  were  not  going  up  to  the  front  yet,  placing  them 
outside  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  hut.  A  soldier  fol- 
lowed, carrying  an  armful  of  records,  and  the  hut  was 
cleared  for  the  men  who  were  "  going  in  "  that  night. 

For  a  little  while  they  ate  fudge  and  then  they  sang 
hymns  for  another  half  hour,  and  had  a  prayer.  It  was  a 
very  quiet  little  meeting.  Not  much  said.  Everyone  knew 
how  solemn  the  occasion  was.  Everyone  felt  it  might  be 
his  last  among  them.  It  was  as  if  the  brooding  Christ  had 
made  Himself  felt  in  every  heart.  Each  boy  felt  like  cry- 
ing out  for  some  strong  arm  to  lean  upon  in  this  his  sore 
meed.  Each  gave  himself  with  all  his  heart  to  the  quiet 
reaching  up  to  God.  It  was  as  if  the  eating  of  that  fudge 
had  been  a  solemn  sacrament  in  which  their  souls  were 
brought  near  to  God  and  to  the  dear  ones  they  might  never 


220  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

see  on  this  earth  again.  If  any  one  had  come  to  them  then 
and  suggested  the  Philosophy  of  Nietzsche  it  would  have 
found  little  favor.  They  knew,  here,  in  the  face  of  death, 
that  the  Death  of  Jesus  on  the  Cross  was  a  soul  satisfy- 
ing creed.  Those  who  had  accepted  Him  were  suddenly 
taken  within  the  veil  where  they  saw  no  longer  through  a 
glass  darkly,  but  with  a  face-to-face  sense  of  His  presence. 
They  had  dropped  away  their  self  assurance  with  which 
they  had  either  conquered  or  ignored  everything  so  far  in 
life,  and  had  become  as  little  children,  ready  to  trust  in  the 
Everlasting  Father,  without  whom  they  had  suddenly  dis- 
covered they  could  not  tread  the  ways  of  Death. 

Then  came  the  call  to  march,  and  with  a  last  prayer  the 
boys  filed  silently  out  into  the  night  and  fell  into  line.  A 
few  minutes  later  the  steady  tramp  of  their  feet  could  be 
heard  as  they  went  down  the  street  that  led  to  the  front. 

Later  in  the  night,  quite  near  to  morning,  there  came 
a  terrific  shock  of  artillery  fire  that  heralded  a  German 
raid.  The  fragile  army  cots  rocked  like  cradles  in  the  hut, 
dishes  rolled  and  danced  on  the  shelves  and  tables,  and 
were  dashed  to  fragments  on  the  floor.  Shells  wailed  and 
screamed  overhead;  and  our  guns  began,  until  it  seemed 
that  all  the  sounds  of  the  universe  had  broken  forth.  In 
the  midst  of  it  all  the  gas  alarm  sounded,  the  great  electric 
horns  screeching  wildly  above  the  babel  of  sound.  The 
women  hurried  into  their  gas  masks,  a  bit  flustered  per- 
haps, but  bearing  their  excitement  quietly  and  helping  each 
other  until  all  were  safely  breathing  behind  their  masks. 

The  next  day  several  times  officers  came  to  the  hut  and 
begged  the  women  to  leave  and  go  to  a  place  of  greater 
safety,  but  they  decided  not  to  go  unless  they  were  ordered 
away.  On  June  19th  one  of  them  wrote  in  her  diary: 
"  Shells  are  still  flying  all  about  us,  but  our  work  is  here 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  221 

and  we  must  stay.  God  will  protect  us."  Once  when 
things  grew  quiet  for  a  little  while  she  went  to  the  edge  of 
the  village  and  watched  the  shells  falling  on  Boucq,  where 
one  of  her  friends  was  stationed,  and  declared :  "  It  looks 
awfully  bad,  almost  as  bad  as  it  sounds." 

The  next  morning  as  the  firing  gradually  died  away, 
Salvation  Army  people  hurried  up  to  Raulecourt  from 
near-by  huts  to  find  out  how  these  brave  women  were,  and 
rejoiced  unspeakably  that  every  one  was  safe  and  well. 

That  night  there  was  another  wonderful  meeting  with 
the  boys  who  were  going  to  the  front,  and  after  it  the 
weary  workers  slept  soundly  the  whole  night  through, 
quietly  and  undisturbed,  the  first  time  for  a  week. 

It  was  a  bright,  beautiful  Sunday  morning,  June  23, 
1918,  when  a  little  party  of  Salvationists  from  Eaulecourt 
started  down  into  the  trenches.  The  muddy,  dirty,  un- 
pleasant trenches !  Sometimes  with  their  two  feet  firmly 
planted  on  the  duck-board,  sometimes  in  the  mud !  Such 
mud !  If  you  got  both  feet  on  it  at  once  you  were  sure 
you  were  planted  and  would  soon  begin  to  grow ! 

As  soon  as  they  reached  the  trenches  they  were  told: 
"  Keep  your  heads  down,  ladies,  the  snipers  are  all  around !" 
It  was  an  intense  moment  as  they  crept  into  the  narrow 
housings  where  the  men  had  to  spend  so  much  time.  But 
it  was  wonderful  to  watch  the  glad  light  that  came  into  the 
men's  eyes  as  they  saw  the  women. 

"Here's  a  real,  honest-to-goodness  American  woman 
in  the  trenches ! "  exclaimed  a  homesick  lad  as  they  came 
around  a  turn. 

"Yes,  your  mother  couldn't  come  to-day,"  said  the 
motherly  Salvationist,  smiling  a  greeting,  "so  I've  come 
in  her  place." 

"  All  right ! "  said  he,  entering  into  the  game.  "  This 
is  Broadway  and  that's  Forty-second  Street.  Sit  down." 


222  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Of  course  there  was  nothing  to  sit  down  on  in  the 
trenches.  But  he  hunted  about  till  he  found  a  chow  can 
and  turned  it  up  for  a  seat,  and  they  had  a  pleasant  talk. 

"  Just  wait,"  he  said.  "  I'll  show  you  a  picture  of  the 
dearest  little  girl  a  fellow  ever  married  and  the  darlingest 
little  kid  ever  a  man  was  father  to ! "  He  fumbled  in  his 
breast  pocket  right  over  his  heart  and  brought  out  two 
photographs. 

"I'd  give  my  right  arm  to  see  them  this  minute,  but 
for  all  that,"  he  went  on,  "I  wouldn't  leave  till  we're 
fought  this  thing  through  to  Berlin  and  given  them  a  dose 
of  what  they  gave  little  Belgium ! " 

They  went  up  and  down  the  trenches,  pausing  at  the 
entrances  to  dugouts  to  smile  and  talk  with  the  men. 
Once,  where  a  grassy  ridge  hid  the  trench  from  the  enemy 
snipers,  they  were  permitted  to  peep  over,  but  there  was  no 
look  of  war  in  the  grassy,  placid  meadow  full  of  flowers 
that  men  called  "No  Man's  Land."  It  seemed  hard  to 
believe,  that  sunny,  flower-starred  morning,  that  Sin  and 
Hate  had  the  upper  hand  and  Death  was  abroad  stalking 
near  in  the  sunlight. 

It  was  a  twelve-mile  walk  through  the  trenches  and  back 
to  the  hut,  and  when  they  returned  they  found  the  men 
were  already  gathering  for  the  evening  meeting. 

That  night,  at  the  close  of  a  heart-searching  talk, 
eighty-five  men  arose  to  their  feet  in  token  that  they  would 
turn  from  the  ways  of  sin  and  accept  Christ  as  their 
Saviour,  and  many  more  raised  their  hands  for  prayers. 
One  of  the  women  of  this  party  in  her  three  months  in 
France  saw  more  than  five  hundred  men  give  themselves 
to  Christ  and  promise  to  serve  Him  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

A  little  Adjutant  lassie  who  was  stationed  at  Boucq 
went  away  from  the  town  for  a  few  hours  on  Saturday, 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  223 

and  when  she  returned  the  next  day  she  found  the  whole 
place  deserted.  A  big  barrage  had  been  put  over  in  the 
little,  quiet  village  while  she  was  away  and  the  entire  in- 
habitants had  taken  refuge  in  the  General's  dugout.  Her 
husband,  who  had  brought  her  back,  insisted  that  she  should 
return  to  the  Zone  Headquarters  at  Ligny-en-Barrios,  where 
he  was  in  charge,  and  persuaded  her  to  start  with  him,  but 
when  they  reached  Menil-la-Tour  and  found  that  the  divi- 
sion Chaplain  was  returning  to  Boucq  she  persuaded  her 
husband  that  she  must  return  with  the  Chaplain  to  her 
post  of  duty. 

That  night  she  and  the  other  girls  slept  outside  the 
dugout  in  little  tents  to  leave  more  room  in  the  dugout 
for  the  French  women  with  their  little  babies.  At  half- 
p»at  three  in  the  morning  the  Germans  started  their  shell- 
ing once  more.  After  two  hours,  things  quieted  down 
somewhat  and  the  girls  went  to  the  hut  and  prepared  a 
large  urn  of  coffee  and  two  big  batches  of  hot  biscuits. 
While  they  were  in  the  midst  of  breakfast  there  was  an- 
other barrage.  All  day  they  were  thus  moving  backward 
and  forward  between  the  hut  and  the  dugout,  not  knowing 
when  another  barrage  would  arrive.  The  Germans  were 
continually  trying  to  get  the  chateau  where  the  General 
had  his  headquarters.  One  shell  struck  a  house  vlMre 
seven  boys  were  quartered,  wounding  them  all  and  killing 
one  of  them.  Things  got  so  bad  that  the  Divisional  Efoad- 
quarters  had  to  leave ;  the  General  sent  his  car  and  trans- 
ferred the  girls  with  all  their  things  to  Trondes.  This  was 
back  of  a  hill  near  Boucq.  They  arrived  at  three  in 
the  afternoon,  put  up  their  stove  and  began  to  bake.  By 
five  they  were  serving  cake  they  had  baked.  The  boys  said : 
"  What !  Cake  already  ?  "  The  soldiers  put  up  the  hut  and 
had  it  finished  in  six  hours. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  the  Salvation  Army  friends 


224  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

over  at  Kaulecourt  had  been  watching  the  shells  falling  on 
Boucq,  and  been  much  troubled  about  them. 

These  were  stirring  times.  No  one  had  leisure  to  won- 
der what  had  become  of  his  brother,  for  all  were  working 
with  all  their  might  to  the  one  great  end. 

Up  north  of  Beaumont  two  aviators  were  caught  by  the 
enemy's  fire  and  forced  to  land  close  to  the  enemy  nests. 
Instead  of  surrendering  the  Americans  used  the  guns  on 
their  planes  and  held  off  the  Germans  until  darkness  fell, 
when  they  managed  to  escape  and  reach  the  American  lines. 
This  was  only  one  of  many  individual  feats  of  heroism  that 
helped  to  turn  the  tide  of  battle.  The  courage  and  deter- 
mination, one  might  say  the  enthusiasm,  of  the  Americans 
knew  no  bounds.  It  awed  and  overpowered  the  enemy  by 
its  very  eagerness.  The  Americans  were  having  all  they 
could  do  to  keep  up  with  the  enemy.  The  artillerymen 
captured  great  numbers  of  enemy  cannon,  ammunition, 
food  and  other  supplies,  which  the  trucks  gathered  up  and 
carried  far  to  the  front,  where  they  were  ready  for  the 
doughboys  when  they  arrived.  One  of  the  greatest  feats 
of  engineering  ever  accomplished  by  the  American  Army 
was  the  bridging  of  the  Meuse,  in  the  region  of  Stenay,  un- 
der terrible  shell  fire,  using  in  the  work  of  building  the 
pontoons  the  Boche  boats  and  materials  captured  during 
the  fighting  at  Chateau-Thierry  and  which  had  been 
brought  from  Germany  for  the  Kaiser's  Paris  offensive  in 
July.  The  Meuse  had  been  flooded  until  it  was  a  mile 
wide,  yet  there  was  more  than  enough  material  to  bridge  it. 

As  the  Americans  advanced,  village  after  village  was 
set  free  which  had  been  robbed  and  pillaged  by  the  Ger- 
mans while  under  their  domination.  The  Yankee  trucks 
as  they  returned  brought  the  women  and  children  back 
from  out  of  the  range  of  shell  fire,  and  they  were  filled  with 
wonder  as  they  heard  the  strange  language  on  the  tongues 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  225 

of  their  rescuers.  They  knew  it  was  not  the  German,  but 
they  had  many  of  them  never  seen  an  American  before. 
The  Germans  had  told  them  that  Americans  were  wild 
and  barbarous  people.  Yet  these  men  gathered  the  little 
hungry  children  into  their  arms  and  shared  their  rations 
with  them.  There  were  three  dirty,  hungry  little  children, 
all  under  ten  years  of  age,  Yvonne,  Louisette  and  Jeane, 
whose  father  was  a  sailor  stationed  at  Marseilles.  Yvonne 
was  only  four  years  of  age,  and  she  told  the  soldiers  she 
had  never  seen  her  father.  They  climbed  into  the  big 
truck  and  sat  looking  with  wonder  at  the  kindly  men  who 
filled  their  hands  with  food  and  asked  them  many  ques- 
tions. By  and  by,  they  comprehended  that  these  big,  smil- 
ing, cheerful  men  were  going  t«  take  the  whole  family  to 
their  father.  What  wonder,  what  joy  shone  in  their 
eager  young  eyes! 

Strange  and  sad  and  wonderful  sights  there  were  to 
see  as  the  soldiers  went  forward. 

A  pioneer  unit  was  rushed  ahead  with  orders  to  con- 
duct its  own  campaign  and  choose  its  own  front,  only  so 
that  contact  was  established  with  the  enemy,  and  to  this 
unit  was  attached  a  certain  little  group  of  Salvation 
Army  people.  Three  lassies,  doing  their  best  to  keep  pace 
with  their  own  people,  reached  a  battered  little  town  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  after  a  hard,  exciting  ride. 

The  supply  train  had  already  put  up  the  tent  for  them, 
and  they  were  ordered  to  unfold  their  cots  and  get  to  sleep 
as  soon  as  possible.  But  instead  of  obeying  orders  these 
indomitable  girls  set  to  work  making  doughnuts  and  be- 
fore nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  they  had  made  and  were 
serving  two  thousand  doughnuts,  with  the  accompanying 
hot  chocolate. 

The  shells  were  whistling  overhead,  and  the  doughboys 
15 


226  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

dropped  into  nearby  shell  holes  when  they  heard  them  com- 
ing, but  the  lassies  paid  no  heed  and  made  doughnuts  all  the 
morning,  under  constant  bombardment. 

Bouconville  was  a  little  village  between  Eaulecourt  and 
the  trenches.  In  it  there  was  left  no  civilian  nor  any  whole 
house.  Nothing  but  shot-down  houses,  dugouts  and  camou- 
flages, Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Salvation  Army  and  enlisted  men. 

Dead  Man's  Curve  was  between  Mandres  and  Beau- 
mont. The  enemy's  eye  was  always  upon  it  and  had  its 
range. 

Before  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  one  could  go  to  Bouconville 
or  Kaulecourt  only  at  night.  As  soon  as  it  was  dark  the 
supply  outfits  on  the  trucks  would  be  lined  up  awaiting 
the  word  from  the  Military  Police  to  go. 

Everyone  had  to  travel  a  hundred  yards  apart.  Only 
three  men  would  be  allowed  to  go  at  once,  so  dangerous 
was  the  trip. 

Out  of  the  night  would  come  a  voice : 

"Halt!  Who  goes  there?  Advance  and  gire  the 
countersign." 

Every  man  was  regarded  as  an  enemy  and  spy  until  he 
was  proven  otherwise.  And  the  countersign  had  to  be 
given  mighty  quick,  too.  So  the  men  were  warned  when 
they  were  sent  out  to  be  ready  with  the  countersign  and 
not  to  hesitate,  for  some  had  been  slow  to  respond  and  had 
been  promptly  shot.  The  ride  through  the  night  in  the 
dark  without  lights,  without  sound,  over  rough,  shell- 
plowed  roads  had  plenty  of  excitement. 

B»nconville  for  seven  months  could  never  be  entered 
by  day.  The  dugout  wall  of  the  hut  was  filled  with  sand- 
bags to  keep  it  up.  It  was  at  Bouconville,  in  the  Salvation 
Army  hut,  that  the  raids  on  the  enemy  were  organized,  the 
men  were  gathered  together  and  instructed,  and  trench 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY 


227 


knives  given  out;  and  here  was  where  they  weeded  out  any 
who  were  afraid  they  might  sneeze  or  cough  and  so  give 
warning  to  the  enemy. 

Not  until  after  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  when  Montsec 
was  behind  the  line  instead  of  in  front  did  they  dare  enter 
Bouconville  by  day. 

Passing  through  Mandres,  it  was  necessary  to  go  to 
Beaumont,  around  Dead  Man's  Curve  and  then  to  Kam- 
bucourt,  and  proceed  to  Bouconville.  Here  the  Salvation 


StMUtlU. 


Army  had  an  outpost  in  a  partially  destroyed  residence. 
The  hut  consisted  of  the  three  ground  floor  rooms,  the  can- 
teen being  placed  in  the  middle.  The  sleeping  quarters 
were  in  a  dugout  just  at  the  rear  of  these  buildings.  It 
was  in  the  building  adjoining  this  hut  that  three  men  were 
killed  one  day  by  an  exploding  shell,  and  gas  alarms  were 
eo  frequent  in  the  night  that  it  was  very  difficult  for  the 
Salvation  Army  people  to  secure  sufficient  rest  as  on  the 
sounding  of  every  gas  alarm  it  was  necessary  to  rise  and 
put  on  the  gas  mask  and  keep  it  on  until  the  te  alerte  "  was 
removed.  This  always  occurred  several  times  during  the 
night. 

It  was  just  outside  of  Bouconville  that  the  famous 
doughnut  truck  experience  occurred.     The  supply  truck, 


228  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

driven  by  two  young  Salvation  Army  men,  one  a  mere  boy, 
was  making  its  rounds  of  the  huts  with  supplies  and  in 
order  to  reach  Eaulecourt,  the  boy  who  was  driving  decided 
to  take  the  shortest  road,  which,  by  the  way,  was  under 
complete  obervation  of  the  Germans  located  at  Montsec. 
The  truck  had  already  been  shelled  on  its  way  to  Boucon- 
ville,  several  shells  landing  at  the  edge  of  the  road  within 
a  few  feet  of  it.  They  had  not  noticed  the  first  shell,  for 
shells  were  a  somewhat  common  thing,  and  the  old  truck 
made  so  much  noise  that  they  had  not  heard  it  coming, 
but  when  the  second  one  fell  so  close  one  of  the  boys  said : 
"  Say,  they  must  be  shooting  at  tis !  "  as  though  that  were 
something  unexpected. 

They  stepped  on  the  accelerator  and  the  truck  shot 
forward  madly  and  tore  into  the  town  with  shells  break- 
ing about  it.  Having  escaped  thus  far  they  were  ready 
to  take  another  chance  on  the  short  cut  to  Eaulecourt. 

They  proceeded  without  mishaps  for  some  distance. 
Just  outside  of  Bouconville  was  a  large  shell  hole  in  the 
road  and  in  trying  to  avoid  this  the  wheels  of  the  truck 
slipped  into  the  ditch,  and  the  driver  found  he  was  stuck. 
It  was  impossible  to  get  out  under  his  own  power.  While 
working  with  the  truck,  the  Germans  began  to  shell  him 
again.  At  first  the  two  boys  paid  little  heed  to  it,  but 
when  more  began  to  come  they  knew  it  was  time  to  leave. 
They  threw  themselves  into  a  communicating  trench,  which 
was  really  no  more  than  a  ditch,  and  wiggled  their  way  up 
the  bank  until  they  were  able  to  drop  into  the  main  trenches, 
where  they  found  safety  in  a  dugout. 

The  Germans  meantime  were  shelling  the  truck  furi- 
ously, the  shells  dropping  all  around  on  either  side,  but  not 
actually  hitting  it.  This  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon. 


"IT    WAS   JUST    OUTSIDE    OF    BOUCONVILLE    THAT    THE     FAMOUS 

DOUGHNUT     TRUCK     EXPERIENCE      OCCURRED" AND     THIS     IS    THE 

SALVATION   ARMY   BOY   WHO   DROVE   IT 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  229 

At  Headquarters  they  were  becoming  anxious  about  the 
non-appearance  of  the  truck  and  started  out  in  the  touring 
car  to  locate  it.  Commencing  at  Jouey-les-Cotes  they  went 
from  there  to  Boucq  and  Raulecourt,  which  were  the  last 
places  the  truck  was  to  visit.  Not  hearing  of  it  at  Kaule- 
court,  the  search  was  continued  out  to  Bouconville,  again 
by  a  short  road.  Montsec  was  in  full  view.  There  were 
fresh  shell  holes  all  along  the  road  since  the  night  before. 
Things  began  to  look  serious. 

A  short  distance  ahead  was  an  army  truck,  and  even  as 
they  got  abreast  of  it  a  shell  went  over  it  exploding  about 
twenty-five  feet  away,  and  one  hit  the  side  of  the  road  just 
behind  them.  It  seemed  wise  to  put  on  all  speed. 

But  when  they  reached  Bouconville  and  found  that  the 
truck  they  had  passed  was  the  Salvation  Army  truck,  they 
were  unwilling  to  leave  it  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  enemy 
as  everybody  advised.  That  truck  cost  fifty-five  hundred 
dollars,  and  they  did  not  want  to  lose  it. 

As  soon  as  it  was  dark  a  detail  of  soldiers  volunteered  to 
go  with  the  Salvation  Army  officers  to  attempt  to  get  it 
out,  but  the  Germans  heard  them  and  started  their  shelling 
furiously  once  more,  so  that  they  had  to  retreat  for  a  time ; 
but  later,  they  returned  and  worked  all  night  trying  to  jack 
it  up  and  get  a  foundation  that  would  permit  of  hauling  it 
out.  Every  little  while  all  night  the  Germans  shelled  them. 
About  half -past  four  in  the  morning  it  grew  light  enough 
for  the  enemy  to  see,  and  the  top  was  taken  off  the  truck 
so  that  it  would  not  be  so  good  a  mark. 

That  day  they  went  back  to  Headquarters  and  secured 
permission  for  an  ammunition  truck  to  come  down  and  give 
them  a  tow,  as  no  driver  was  permitted  out  on  that  road 
without  a  special  permit  from  Headquarters.  The  journey 
back  was  filled  with  perils  from  gas  shells,  especially 


230  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

around  Dead  Man's  Curve,  but  they  escaped  unhurt.  That 
night  they  attached  a  tow  line  to  the  front  of  the  truck, 
started  the  engine  quietly,  and  waited  until  the  assisting 
truck  came  along  out  of  the  darkness.  They  then  attached 
their  line  without  stopping  the  other  truck  and  with  the  aid 
of  its  own  power  the  old  doughnut  truck  was  jerked  out  of 
the  ditch  at  last  and  sent  on  its  way.  In  spite  of  the 
many  shells  for  which  it  had  been  a  target  it  was  unin- 
jured save  that  it  needed  a  new  top.  The  knowledge  that 
the  truck  was  stuck  in  the  ditch  and  was  being  shelled 
aroused  great  excitement  among  all  the  troops  in  the  Toul 
Sector  and  it  was  thereafter  an  object  of  considerable 
interest.  Newspaper  correspondents  telegraphed  reports 
of  it  around  the  world. 

In  most  of  the  huts  and  dugouts  Salvation  Army 
workers  subsist  entirely  upon  Army  chow.  At  Boucon- 
ville  the  chow  was  frequently  supplemented  by  fresh  fish. 
The  dugout  here  was  very  close  to  the  trenches,  less  than 
five  minutes'  walk.  Just  behind  the  trenches  to  the  left  was 
a  small  lake.  When  there  was  sufficient  artillery  fire  to 
mask  their  attack,  soldiers  would  toss  a  hand  grenade  into 
this  lake,  thus  stunning  hundreds  of  fish  which  would  float 
to  the  surface,  where  they  were  gathered  in  by  the  sackful. 
The  Salvation  Army  dugout  was  never  without  its  share 
of  the  spoils. 

Before  the  soldiers  began  to  think,  as  they  do  now,  that 
being  detailed  to  the  Salvation  Army  hut  was  a  privilege, 
an  Army  officer  sent  one  of  his  soldiers,  who  seemed  to  be 
in  danger  of  developing  a  yellow  streak,  to  sweep  the  hut 
and  light  the  fires  for  the  lassies.  "You  are  only  fit  to 
wash  dishes,  and  hang  on  to  a  woman's  skirts,"  he  told  the 
soldier  in  informing  him  that  he  was  detailed.  That  night 
the  village  was  bombed.  The  boy,  who  was  really  fright- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  231 

ened,  watched  the  two  girls,  being  too  proud  to  run  for 
shelter  while  they  were  so  calm.  He  trembled  and  shook 
while  they  sat  quietly  listening  to  the  swish  of  falling 
bombs  and  the  crash  of  anti-aircraft  guns.  In  spite  of  his 
fright,  he  was  so  ashamed  of  his  fears  that  he  forced  him- 
self to  stand  in  the  street  and  watch  the  progress  of  the 
raid.  The  next  day  he  reported  to  his  Captain  that  he  had 
vanquished  his  yellow  streak  and  wanted  a  chance  to  demon- 
strate what  he  said.  The  demonstration  was  ample.  The 
example  of  these  brave  lassies  had  somehow  strengthened 
his  spirit. 

Back  of  Eaulecourt  the  woods  were  full  of  heavy  artil- 
lery. Raulecourt  was  the  first  town  back  of  the  front  lines. 
The  men  were  relieved  every  eight  days  and  passed  through 
here  to  other  places  to  rest. 

The  military  authorities  sent  word  to  the  Salvation 
Army  hut  one  day  that  fifty  Frenchmen  would  be  going 
through  from  the  trenches  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning 
who  would  have  had  no  opportunity  to  get  anything  to  eat. 

The  Salvation  Army  people  went  to  work  and  baked  up 
a  lot  of  biscuits  and  doughnuts  and  cakes,  and  got  hot 
coffee  ready.  The  Red  Cross  canteen  was  better  situated 
to  serve  the  men  and  had  more  conveniences,  so  they  took 
the  things  over  there,  and  the  Red  Cross  supplied  hot 
chocolate,  and  when  the  men  came  they  were  well  served. 
This  is  a  sample  of  the  spirit  of  cooperation  which  pre- 
vailed. One  Sunday  night  they  were  just  starting  the  even- 
ing service  when  word  came  from  the  military  authorities 
that  there  were  a  hundred  men  coming  through  the  town 
who  were  hungry  and  ought  to  be  fed.  They  must  be  out 
of  the  town  by  nine-thirty  as  they  were  going  over  the  top 
that  night.  Could  the  Salvation  Army  do  anything? 

The  woman  officer  who  was  in  charge  was  perplexed. 


232  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

She  had  nothing  cooked  ready  to  eat,  the  fire  was  out,  her 
detailed  helpers  all  gone,  and  she  was  just  beginning  a 
meeting  and  hated  to  disappoint  the  men  already  gathered, 
but  she  told  the  messenger  that  if  she  might  have  a  couple 
of  soldiers  to  help  her  she  would  do  what  she  could.  The 
soldiers  were  supplied  and  the  fire  was  started.  At  ten 
minutes  to  nine  the  meeting  was  closed  and  the  earnest 
young  preacher  went  to  work  making  biscuits  and  choco- 
late with  the  help  of  her  two  soldier  boys.  By  ten  o'clock 
all  the  men  were  fed  and  gone.  That  is  the  way  the  Salva- 
tion Army  does  things.  They  never  say  "  I  can V  They 
always  CAN. 

In  Baulecourt  there  were  several  pro-Germans.  The 
authorities  allowed  them  to  stay  there  to  save  the  town. 
The  Salvation  Army  people  were  warned  that  there  were 
spies  in  the  town  and  that  they  must  on  no  account  give 
out  information.  Just  before  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  a  spe- 
cial warning  was  given,  all  civilians  were  ordered  to  leave 
town,  and  a  Military  Police  knocked  at  the  door  and  in- 
formed the  woman  in  the  hut  that  she  must  be  careful 
what  she  said  to  anybody  with  the  rank  of  a  second  lieu- 
tenant, as  word  had  gone  out  there  was  a  spy  dressed  in  the 
uniform  of  an  American  second  lieutenant. 

That  night  at  eleven  o'clock  the  young  woman  was  just 
about  to  retire  when  there  came  a  knock  at  the  canteen  door. 
She  happened  to  be  alone  in  the  building  at  the  time  and 
when  she  opened  the  door  and  found  several  strange  offi- 
cers standing  outside  she  was  a  little  frightened.  Nor  did 
it  dispel  her  fears  to  have  them  begin  to  ask  questions : 

"  Madam,  how  many  troops  are  in  this  town  ?  Where 
are  they  ?  Where  can  we  get  any  billets  ?  " 

To  all  these  questions  she  replied  that  she  could  not  tell 
or  did  not  know  and  advised  them  to  get  in  touch  with  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  233 

town  Major.  The  visitors  grew  impatient.  Then  three 
more  men  knocked  at  the  door,  also  in  uniform,  and  began 
to  ask  questions.  When  they  could  get  no  information  one 
of  them  exclaimed  indignantly : 

"  Well,  I  should  like  to  know  what  kind  of  a  town  this 
is,  anyway  ?  I  tried  to  find  out  something  from  a  Military 
Police  outside  and  he  took  me  for  a  SPY !  Madam,  we  are 
from  Field  Hospital  Number  12,  and  we  want  to  find  a 
place  to  rest/' 

Then  the  frightened  young  woman  became  convinced 
that  her  visitors  were  not  spies ;  all  the  same,  they  were  not 
going  to  leave  her  any  the  wiser  for  any  information  she 
would  give. 

Several  times  men  would  come  to  the  town  and  find  no 
place  to  sleep.  On  such  occasions  the  Salvation  Army  hut 
was  turned  over  to  them  and  they  would  sleep  on  the  floor. 

The  St.  Mihiel  drive  came  on  and  the  hut  was  turned 
over  to  the  hospital.  The  supplies  were  taken  to  a  dugout 
and  the  canteen  kept  up  there.  Then  the  military  authori- 
ties insisted  that  the  girls  should  leave  town,  but  the 
girls  refused  to  go,  begging,  "Don't  drive  us  away.  We 
know  we  shall  be  needed !  "  The  Staff-Captain  came  down 
and  took  some  of  the  girls  away,  but  left  two  in  the  canteen, 
and  others  in  the  hospital. 

It  rained  for  two  weeks  in  Roulecourt.  The  soldiers 
slept  in  little  dog  tents  in  the  woods. 

The  meetings  held  the  boys  at  the  throne  of  God  each 
night,  they  were  the  power  behind  the  doughnut,  and  the 
boys  recognized  it. 

"  One  hesitated  to  ask  them  if  they  wanted  prayers  be- 
cause we  knew  they  did,"  said  one  sweet  woman  back  from 
the  front,  speaking  about  the  time  of  the  St.  Mihiel  drive. 
"We  couldn't  say  how  many  knelt  at  the  altar  because 


234  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

they  all  knelt.  Some  of  them  would  walk  five  miles  to 
attend  a  meeting/' 

It  poured  torrents  the  night  of  the  drive  and  nearly 
drowned  out  the  soldiers  in  their  little  tents. 

They  came  into  the  hut  to  shake  hands  and  say  good- 
bye to  the  girls;  to  leave  their  little  trinklets  and  ask  for 
prayers;  and  they  had  their  meeting  as  always  before  a 
drive. 

But  this  was  an  even  more  solemn  time  than  usual,  for 
the  boys  were  going  up  to  a  point  where  the  French  had 
suffered  the  fearful  loss  of  thirty  thousand  men  trying  to 
hold  Mt.  Sec  for  fifteen  minutes.  They  did  not  expect  to 
come  back.  They  left  sealed  packages  to  be  forwarded  if 
they  did  not  return. 

One  boy  came  to  one  of  the  Salvation  Army  men  Offi- 
cers and  said :  "  Pray  for  me.  I  have  given  my  heart  to 
Jesus." 

Another,  a  Sergeant,  who  had  lived  a  hard  life,  came 
to  the  Salvation  Army  Adjutant  and  said:  "When  I  go 
back,  if  I  ever  go,  I'm  going  to  serve  the  Lord." 

After  the  meeting  the  girls  closed  the  canteen  and  on 
the  way  to  their  room  they  passed  a  little  sort  of  shed  or 
barn.  The  door  was  standing  open  and  a  light  streaming 
out,  and  there  on  a  little  straw  pallet  lay  a  soldier  boy  rolled 
up  in  his  blanket  reading  his  Testament.  The  girls  breathed 
a  prayer  for  the  lad  as  they  passed  by  and  their  hearts 
were  lifted  up  with  gladness  to  think  how  many  of  the 
American  boys,  fully  two-thirds  of  them,  carried  their 
Testaments  in  the  pockets  over  their  hearts;  yes,  and  read 
them,  too,  quite  openly. 

Two  young  Captains  came  one  night  to  say  good-bye  to 
the  girls  before  going  up  the  line.  The  girls  told  them  they 
would  be  praying  for  them  and  the  elder  of  the  two,  a  doc- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  235 

tor,  said  how  much  he  appreciated  that,  and  then  told  them 
how  he  had  promised  his  wife  he  would  read  a  chapter  in 
his  Testament  every  day,  and  how  he  had  never  failed  to 
keep  his  promise  since  he  left  home. 

Then  up  spoke  the  other  man : 

"Well,  I  got  converted  one  night  on  the  road.  The 
shells  were  falling  pretty  thick  and  I  thought  I  would  never 
reach  my  destination  and  I  just  promised  the  Lord  if  He 
would  let  me  get  safely  there  I  would  never  fail  to  read  a 
chapter,  and  I  never  have  failed  yet ! "  This  young  man 
seemed  to  think  that  the  whole  plan  of  redemption  was 
comprised  in  reading  his  Bible,  but  if  he  kept  his  promise 
the  Spirit  would  guide  him. 

On  the  way  back  to  the  hut  one  morning  the  girls  picked 
marguerites  and  forget-me-nots  and  put  them  in  a  rase  on 
the  table  in  the  hut,  making  it  look  like  a  little  oasis  in  a 
desert,  and  no  doubt,  many  a  soldier  looked  long  at  those 
blossoms  who  never  thought  he  cared  about  flowers  before. 

Within  thirty-six  hours  after  the  first  gun  was  fired  in 
the  St.  Mihiel  drive  seven  Salvation  Army  huts  were  estab- 
lished on  the  territory. 

Three  days  before  the  drive  opened  twenty  Salvation 
Army  girls  reached  Raulecourt,  which  was  a  little!  village 
half  a  mile  from  Montsec.  They  had  been  travelling  for 
hours  and  hours  and  were  very  weary. 

The  Salvation  Army  hut  had  been  turned  over  to  the 
hospital,  so  they  found  another  old  building. 

That  night  there  was  a  gas  alarm  sounded  and  every- 
body came  running  out  with  their  gas  masks  on.  The 
officer  who  had  them  in  charge  was  much  worried  about 
his  lassies  because  some  of  them  had  a  great  deal  of  hair, 
and  he  was  afraid  that  the  heavy  coils  at  the  back  of  their 
heads  would  prevent  the  masks  from  fitting  tightly  and  let 
in  the  deadly  gas,  but  the  lassies  were  level-headed  girls, 


236  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

and  they  came  calmly  out  with  their  masks  on  tight  and 
their  hair  in  long  braids  down  their  backs,  much  to  the 
relief  of  their  officer. 

It  had  been  raining  for  days  and  the  men  were  wet  to 
the  skin,  and  many  of  them  had  no  way  to  get  dry  except 
to  roll  up  in  their  blankets  and  let  the  heat  of  their  body 
dry  their  clothes  while  they  slept.  It  was  a  great  comfort 
to  have  the  Salvation  Army  hut  where  they  could  go  and 
get  warm  and  dry  once  in  awhile. 

The  night  of  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  was  the  blackest 
night  ever  seen.  It  was  so  dark  that  one  could  positively 
see  nothing  a  foot  ahead  of  him.  The  Salvation  Army 
lassies  stood  in  the  door  of  the  canteen  and  listened.  All 
day  long  the  heavy  artillery  had  been  going  by,  and  now 
that  night  had  come  there  was  a  sound  of  feet,  tramping, 
tramping,  thousands  of  feet,  through  the  mud  and  slush 
as  the  soldiers  went  to  the  front.  In  groups  they  were 
singing  softly  as  they  went  by.  The  first  bunch  were  sing- 
ing "  Mother  Machree." 

There's  a  spot  in  me  heart  that  no  colleen,  may  own, 
There's  a  depth  in  me  soul  never  sounded  or  known; 
There's  a  place  in  me  memory,  me  life,  that  you  fill, 
No  other  can  take  it,  no  one  ever  will; 
Sure,  I  love  the  dear  silver  that  shines  in  your  hair, 
And  the  brow  that's  all  furrowed  and  wrinkled  with  care. 
I  kiss  the  dear  fingers,  so  toil-worn  for  me; 
O,  God  bless  you  and  keep  you ! 

Mother  Machree! 

The  simple  pathos  of  the  voices,  many  of  them  tramp- 
ing forward  to  their  death,  and  thinking  of  mother,  brought 
the  tears  to  the  eyes  of  the  girls  who  had  been  mothers  and 
sisters,  as  well  as  they  could,  to  these  boys  during  the  days 
of  their  waiting. 

Then  the  song  would  die  slowly  away  and  another  group 
would  come  by  singing:  "Tell  mother  111  be  there  I" 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  237 

Always  the  thought  of  mother.  A  little  interval  and  the 
jolly  swing  of  "  Pack  up  your  troubles  in  your  old  kit  bag 
and  smile,  smile,  smile ! "  came  floating  by,  and  then 
sweetly,  solemnly,  through  the  chill  of  the  darkness,  with 
a  thrill  in  the  words,  came  another  group  of  voices : 

Abide  with  me;  fast  falls  the  eventide, 
The  darkness  deepens;  Lord,  with  me  abide!' 

There  had  been  rumors  that  Montsec  was  mined  and 
that  as  soon  as  a  foot  was  set  upon  it  it  would  blow  up. 

The  girls  went  and  lay  down  on  their  cots  and  tried  to 
sleep,  praying  in  their  hearts  for  the  boys  who  had  gone 
forth  to  fight.  But  they  could  not  sleep.  It  was  as  though 
they  had  all  the  burden  of  all  the  mothers  and  wives  and 
sisters  of  those  boys  upon  them,  as  they  lay  there,  the  only 
women  within  miles,  the  only  women  so  close  to  the  lines. 

About  half-past  one  a  big  naval  gun  went  off.  It  was 
as  though  all  the  noises  of  the  earth  were  let  loose  about 
them.  They  could  lie  still  no  longer.  They  got  up,  put  on 
their  rain-coats,  rubber  boots,  steel  helmets,  took  their  gas 
masks  and  went  out  in  the  fields  where  they  could  see. 
Soon  the  barrage  was  started.  Darkness  took  on  a  rosy 
hue  from  shells  bursting.  First  a  shell  fell  on  Montsec. 
Then  one  landed  in  the  ammunition  dump  just  back  of  it 
and  blew  it  up,  making  it  look  like  a  huge  crater  of  a 
volcano.  It  seemed  as  if  the  universe  were  on  fire.  The 
noise  was  terrific.  The  whole  heavens  were  lit  up  from  end 
to  end.  The  beauty  and  the  horror  of  it  were  indescribable. 

At  five  o'clock  they  went  sadly  back  to  the  hut. 

The  hospital  tents  had  been  put  up  in  the  dark  and  now 
stood  ready  for  the  wounded  who  were  expected  momen- 
tarily. The  girls  took  off  their  rain-coats  and  reported  for 
duty.  It  was  expected  there  would  be  many  wounded.  The 
minutes  passed  and  still  no  wounded  arrived.  Day  broke 
and  only  a  few  wounded  men  had  been  brought  in.  It  was 


238  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

reported  that  the  roads  were  so  bad  that  the  ambulances 
were  slow  in  getting  there.  With  sad  hearts  the  workers 
waited,  but  the  hours  passed  and  still  only  a  straggling  few 
arrived,  and  most  of  those  were  merely  sick  from  explosives. 
There  were  almost  no  wounded !  Only  ninety  in  all. 

Then  at  last  there  came  one  bearing  a  message.  There 
were  no  wounded!  The  Germans  had  been  taken  so  by 
surprise,  the  victory  had  been  so  complete  at  that  point, 
that  the  boys  had  simply  leaped  over  all  barriers  and  gone 
on  to  pursue  the  enemy.  Quickly  packing  up  seven  outfits 
a  little  company  of  workers  started  after  their  divisions  on 
trucks  over  ground  that  twenty-four  hours  before  had  been 
occupied  by  the  Germans,  on  roads  that  were  checkered 
with  many  shell  holes  which  American  road  makers  were 
busily  filling  up  and  bridging  as  they  passed. 

One  of  the  Salvation  Army  truck  drivers  asked  a  negro 
road  mender  what  he  thought  of  his  job.  He  looked  up 
with  a  pearly  smile  and  a  gleam  of  his  eyes  and  replied: 
"Boss,  Fse  doin'  mah  best  to  make  de  world  safe  foh 
Democrats ! " 

They  had  to  stop  frequently  to  remove  the  bodies  of 
dead  horses  from  the  way  so  recently  had  that  place  been 
shelled.  They  passed  through  grim  skeletons  of  villages 
shattered  and  torn  by  shell  fire ;  between  tangles  of  rusty 
barbed  wire  that  marked  the  front  line  trenches.  Then  on 
into  territory  that  had  long  been  held  by  the  Huns.  More 
than  half  of  the  villages  they  passed  were  partially  burned 
by  the  retreating  enemy.  All  along  the  way  the  pitiful  vil- 
lagers, free  at  last,  came  out  to  greet  them  with  shouts  of 
welcome,  calling  "Bonnes  Americaines!  Bonnes  Ameri- 
caines !"  Some  flung  their  arms  about  the  Salvation  Army 
lassies  in  their  joy.  Some  of  the  villagers  had  not  even 
known  that  the  Americans  were  in  the  war  until  they  saw 
them. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  239 

In  the  village  of  Nonsard  a  little  way  beyond  Mt.  Sec 
they  found  a  building  that  twenty-four  hours  before  had 
been  a  German  canteen.  Above  the  entrance  was  the  sign 
"KAMERAD,  tritf  ein" 

The  Salvation  Army  people  stepped  in  and  took  pos- 
session, finding  everything  ready  for  their  use.  They  even 
found  a  lard  can  full  of  lard  and  after  a  chemist  had 
analyzed  it  to  make  sure  it  was  not  poisoned  they  fried 
doughnuts  with  it.  In  one  wall  was  a  great  shell  hole,  and 
the  village  was  still  under  shell  fire  as  they  unloaded  their 
truck  and  got  to  work.  One  lassie  set  the  water  to  heat  for 
hot  chocolate,  while  another  requisitioned  a  soldier  to 
knock  the  head  off  a  barrel  of  flour  and  was  soon  up  to  her 
elbows  mixing  the  dough  for  doughnuts.  Before  the  first 
doughnut  was  out  of  the  hot  fat  several  hundred  soldiers 
were  waiting  in  long,  patient,  ever-growing  lines  for  free 
doughnuts  and  chocolate.  These  things  were  always  served 
free  after  the  men  had  been  over  the  top. 

The  lassies  had  had  no  sleep  for  thirty-six  hours,  but 
they  never  thought  of  stopping  until  everybody  was  served. 
In  that  one  day  their  three  tons  of  supplies  entirely  gave 
out. 

The  Red  Cross  was  there  with  their  rolling  kitchen. 
They  had  plenty  of  bread  but  nothing  to  put  on  it.  The 
Salvation  Army  had  no  stove  on  which  to  cook  anything, 
but  they  had  quantities  of  jam  and  potted  meats.  They 
turned  over  ten  cases  of  jam,  some  of  the  cases  containing 
as  many  as  four  hundred  small  jars,  to  the  Red  Cross,  who 
served  it  on  hot  biscuits.  Some  one  put  up  a  sign :  "  THIS 
JAM  FURNISHED  BY  THE  SALVATION  ARMY ! " 
and  the  soldiers  passed  the  word  along  the  line :  "  The  finest 
sandwich  in  the  world,  Red  Cross  and  Salvation  Army ! " 

The  first  day  two  Salvation  Army  girls  served  more 


240  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

than  ten  thousand  soldiers  in  their  canteen.  They  did  not 
even  stop  to  eat.  The  Eed  Cross  brought  them  over  hot 
chocolate  as  they  worked. 

Evening  brought  enemy  airplanes,  but  the  lassies  did 
not  stop  for  that  and  soon  their  own  aerial  forces  drove 
the  enemy  back. 

That  night  the  girls  slept  in  a  dirty  German  dugout, 
and  they  did  not  dare  to  clean  up  the  place,  or  even  so  much 
as  to  move  any  of  the  debris  of  papers  and  old  tin  and  paste- 
board cracker  boxes,  or  cans  that  were  strewn  around  the 
place  until  the  engineer  experts  came  to  examine  things, 
lest  it  might  be  mined  and  everything  be  blown  up.  The 
girls  set  up  their  cots  in  the  clearest  place  they  could  find, 
and  went  to  sleep.  One  of  the  women,  however,  who  had 
just  arrived,  had  lost  her  cot,  and  being  very  weary  crawled 
into  a  sort  of  berth  dug  by  the  Germans  in  the  wall,  where 
some  German  had  slept.  She  found  out  from  bitter  experi- 
ence what  cooties  are  like. 

The  next  morning  they  were  hard  at  work  again  as 
early  as  seven  o'clock.  Two  long  lines  of  soldiers  were 
already  patiently  waiting  to  be  served.  The  girls  wondered 
whether  they  might  not  have  been  there  all  night.  This 
continued  all  day  long. 

"  We  had  to  keep  on  a  perpetual  grin/'  said  one  of  the 
lassies,  "  so  that  each  soldier  would  think  he  had  a  smile  all 
his  own.  We  always  gave  everything  with  a  smile." 

Yet  they  were  not  smiles  of  coquetry.  One  had  but  to 
pee  the  beautiful  earnest  faces  of  those  girls  to  know  that 
nothing  unholy  or  selfish  entered  into  their  service.  It  was 
more  like  the  smile  that  an  angel  might  give. 

Here  is  one  of  the  many  popular  songs  that  have  been 
irritten  on  the  subject  which  shows  how  the  soldiers  felt : 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  241 

SALVATION  LASSIE  OF  MINE. 

"  They  say  it's  in  Heaven  that  all  angels  dwell, 

But  I've  come  to  learn  they're  on  earth  just  as  well; 
And  how  would  I  know  that  the  like  could  be  so, 
If  I  hadn't  found  one  down  here  below? 

CHORUS. 
A  sweet  little  Angel  that  went  o'er  the  sea, 

With  the  emblem  of  God  in  her  hand ; 
A  wonderful  Angel  who  brought  there  to  me 

The  sweet  of  a  war-furrowed  land. 
The  crown  on  her  head  was  a  ribbon  of  red, 

A  symbol  of  all  that's  divine; 
Though  she  called  each  a  brother  she's  more  like  a  mother, 

Salvation  Lassie  of  Mine. 

Perhaps  in  the  future  I'll  meet  her  again, 

In  that  world  where  no  one  knows  sorrow  or  pain; 

And  when  tLat  time  comes  and  the  last  word  is  said, 
Then  place  on  my  bosom  her  band  of  red." 

By  "  Jack  "  CadcKgan  and  "  Chick  "  8toy. 

That  day  a  shell  fell  on  the  dugout  where  they  had  slept 
the  night  before,  and  a  little  later  one  dropped  next  door  to 
the  canteen ;  another  took  seven  men  from  the  signal  corpa 
right  in  the  street  near  by,  and  the  girls  were  ordered  out 
of  the  village  because  it  was  no  longer  safe  for  them. 

One  of  the  boys  had  been  up  on  a  pole  putting  up  wires 
for  the  signal  corps.  These  boys  often  had  to  work  as  now 
under  shell  fire  in  daytime  because  it  was  necessary  to 
have  telephone  connections  complete  at  once.  A  shell  struck 
him  as  he  worked  and  he  fell  in  front  of  the  canteen.  They 
had  just  carried  him  away  to  the  ambulance  when  his 
chum  and  comrade  came  running  up.  A  pool  of  blood  lay 
on  the  floor  in  front  of  the  canteen,  and  he  stood  and  gazed 
with  anguish  in  his  face.  Suddenly  he  stooped  and  patted 
the  blood  tenderly  murmuring,  "  My  Buddy !  My  Buddy ! " 
Then  like  a  flash  he  was  off,  up  the  pole  where  his  com- 
rade had  been  killed  to  finish  his  work.  That  is  the  kind 
of  brave  boys  these  girls  were  Berring. 
19 


IX. 

THE  AEGONNB  DEIVB. 

THAT  night  they  slept  in  the  woods  on  litters,  and  the 
next  day  they  went  on  farther  into  the  woods,  twelve  kilo- 
metres beyond  what  had  been  German  front. 

Here  they  found  a  whole  little  village  of  German  dug- 
outs in  the  form  of  log  cabin  bungalows  in  the  woods.  It 
was  a  beautifully  laid  out  little  village,  each  bungalow 
complete,  with  running  water  and  electric  lights  and  all 
conveniences.  There  were  a  dance  hall,  a  billiard  room,  and 
several  pianos  in  the  woods.  There  were  also  fine  vegetable 
gardens  and  rabbit  hutches  full  of  rabbits,  for  the  Germans 
had  been  obliged  to  leave  too  hastily  to  take  anything  with 
them. 

The  boys  were  hungry,  some  of  them  half  starved  for 
something  different  from  the  hard  fare  they  could  take 
with  them  over  the  top,  and  they  made  rabbit  stews  and 
cooked  the  vegetables  and  had  a  fine  time. 

The  girls  up  at  the  front  had  no  time  for  making 
doughnuts,  so  the  girls  back  of  the  lines  made  8000  dough- 
nuts and  sent  them  up  by  trucks  for  distribution.  They 
also  distributed  oranges  to  the  soldiers. 

News  came  to  the  girls  after  they  had  been  for  a  week  in 
Nonsard  that  they  were  to  make  a  long  move. 

Back  to  Verdun  they  went  and  stopped  just  long  enough 
to  look  at  the  city.  They  were  much  impressed  with  St. 
Margaret's  school  for  young  ladies,  and  a  wonderful  old 
cathedral  standing  on  the  hill  with  a  wall  surrounding  it. 
Just  the  face  of  the  building  was  left,  all  the  rest  shot 
away,  and  through  the  concrete  walls  were  holes,  with  guns 
bristling  from  every  one. 
242 


"HERE  THEY  FOUND  A  WHOLE  LITTLE  VILLAGE  OF  GERMAN  DUGOUTS' 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  243 

They  did  not  linger  long  for  duty  called  them  forward 
on  their  journey.  At  dusk  they  stopped  in  a  little  village, 
bought  some  stuff,  and  asked  a  French  woman  to  cook  it 
for  them.  They  inquired  for  a  place  in  which  to  wash  and 
were  given  a  bar  of  soap  and  directed  to  the  village  pump 
up  the  street.  After  supper  they  went  on  their  way  to 
Benoitvaux.  Here  they  found  difficulty  in  getting  quarters, 
but  at  last  an  old  French  woman  agreed  to  let  them  sleep 
in  her  kitchen  and  for  a  couple  of  days  they  were  quartered 
with  her.  The  word  went  forth  that  there  were  two  Ameri- 
can girls  there  and  people  were  most  curious  to  see  them. 
One  afternoon  two  French  soldiers  came  to  the  kitchen  to 
visit  them.  It  was  raining,  as  usual,  and  the  girls  had  stayed 
in  because  there  was  really  nothing  to  call  them  out.  The 
soldiers  sat  for  some  time  talking.  They  had  heard  that 
America  was  a  wild  place  with  beaucoup  Indians  who  wore 
scalps  in  their  belts,  and  they  wanted  to  know  if  the  girl« 
were  not  afraid.  It  was  a  bit  difficult  conversing,  but  the 
girls  got  out  their  French  dictionary  and  managed  to  con- 
vey a  little  idea  of  the  true  America  to  the  strangers.  At 
last  one  of  the  soldiers  in  quite  a  matter  of  fact  tone  in- 
formed one  of  the  girls  that  he  was  pleased  with  her  and 
loved  her  very  much.  This  put  a  hasty  close  to  the  con- 
versation, the  lassie  informing  him  with  much  dignity  that 
men  did  not  talk  in  that  way  to  girls  they  had  just  met  in 
America  and  that  she  did  not  like  it.  Whereupon  the  girls 
withdrew  to  the  other  end  of  the  kitchen  and  turned  their 
backs  on  their  callers,  busying  themselves1  with  some  read- 
ing, and  the  crest-fallen  gallants  presently  left. 

They  only  had  a  canteen  here  one  day  when  they  were 
called  to  go  on  to  Neuvilly. 

When  the  offensive  was  extended  to  the  Argonne  the 
Salvation  Army  followed  along,  keeping  in  touch  with  the 


244  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

troops  so  that  they  felt  that  the  Salvation  Army  was  ever 
with  them,  sharing  their  hardships  and  dangers,  and  always 
ready  to  serve  them. 

Just  before  a  drive,  close  to  the  front,  there  are  always 
blockades  of  trucks  going  either  way. 

The  Salvation  Army  truck  filled  with  the  workers  on 
their  way  to  Neuvilly  one  dark  night  was  caught  in  such  a 
blockade.  They  crawled  along  making  only  about  a  mile 
an  hour  and  stopping  every  few  minutes  until  there  was  a 
chance  to  go  on  again.  At  last  the  wait  grew  longer  and 
longer,  the  mud  grew  deeper,  and  the  truck  was  having 
such  a  hard  time  that  the  little  company  of  travellers  de- 
cided to  abandon  it  to  the  side  of  the  road  till  morning 
and  get  out  and  walk  to  Neuvilly.  There  was  a  field  hos- 
pital there  and  they  felt  sure  they  could  be  of  use ;  and  any- 
way, it  was  better  than  sitting  in  the  truck  all  night.  They 
were  then  about  eight  kilometers  from  the  front.  So  they 
all  got  off  and  walked.  But  when  they  reached  the  place, 
found  the  hospital,  and  essayed  to  go  in,  the  mud  was  so 
deep  that  they  were  stuck  and  unable  to  move  forward. 
Some  soldiers  had  to  rescue  them  and  carry  them  to  the 
hospital  on  litters. 

Their  help  was  accepted  gladly,  and  they  went  to  work 
at  once.  There  were  many  shell-shocked  boys  coming  in 
who  needed  soothing  and  comforting,  and  a  woman's  hand 
so  near  the  front  was  gratefully  appreciated. 

When  at  last  there  was  a  lull  in  the  stream  of  wounded 
men  the  girls  went  to  find  a  place  to  sleep  for  a  little 
while.  Jt  was  early  morning,  and  sad  sights  met  their  eyes 
as  they  hurried  down  what  had  once  been  a  pleasant  village 
street.  Destruction  and  desolation  everywhere.  The  house 
that  had  been  selected  for  a  Salvation  Army  canteen  was 
nearly  all  gone.  One  end  was  comparatively  intact,  with 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  245 

the  floor  still  remaining,  and  this  was  to  be  for  the  canteen. 
The  rest  of  the  building  was  a  series  of  shell  holes  surround- 
ing a  cellar  from  which  the  floor  had  been  shot  away. 

The  women  reconnoitred  and  finally  decided  to  unfold 
their  cots  and  try  to  get  a  wink  of  sleep  down  in  that  cel- 
lar. It  did  not  take  them  long  to  get  settled.  The  cots 
were  brought  down  and  placed  quickly  among  the  fallen 
rafters,  stone  and  tiling.  Part  of  the  walls  that  were  stand- 
ing leaned  in  at  a  perilous  slant,  threatening  to  fall  at  the 
slightest  wind,  but  the  lassies  took  off  their  shoes,  rolled 
up  in  their  blankets,  and  were  at  once  oblivious  to  all  about 
them,  for  they  had  been  travelling  all  the  day  before  and 
had  worked  hard  all  night. 

One  hour  later,  still  early  in  the  morning,  they  were 
awakened  by  the  arrival  of  the  truck  and  the  thumping  of 
boxes,  tables  and  supplies  as  the  Salvation  Army  truck 
drivers  unloaded  and  set  up  the  paraphernalia  of  the  can- 
teen. The  girls  opened  their  eyes  and  looked  about  them, 
and  there  all  around  the  building  were  American  soldiers, 
a  head  in  every  shell  hole,  watching  them  sleep.  There  was 
something  thrilling  in  the  silent  audience  looking  down 
with  holy  eyes — yes,  I  said  holy  eyes! — for  whatever  the 
American  soldier  may  be  in  his  daily  life  he  had  nothing  in 
his  eyes  but  holy  reverence  for  these  women  of  God  who 
were  working  night  and  day  for  him.  There  was  some- 
thing touching,  too,  in  their  attitude,  for  perhaps  each  one 
was  thinking  of  his  mother  or  sister  at  home  as  he  looked 
down  on  these  weary  girls,  rolled  up  in  the  brown  blankets, 
with  their  neat  little  brown  shoes  in  couples  under  their 
cots,  nothing  visible  above  the  blankets  but  their  pretty 
rumpled  brown  hair. 

The  women  did  not  waste  much  more  time  in  sleeping. 
They  arose  at  once  and  got  busy.  There  were  five  tables  in 


246  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

the  canteen  above  and  already  from  each  one  there  stretched 
a  long  line  of  men  waiting  silently,  patiently  for  the  time  to 
arrive  when  there  would  be  something  good  to  eat.  The  girls 
had  no  more  sleep  that  day,  and  there*  simply  was  no  se- 
clusion to  be  had  anywhere.  Everything  was  shell-riddled. 

When  night  came  on  the  question  of  beds  arose  again. 
The  cellar  seemed  hardly  possible,  and  the  military  officers 
considered  the  question. 

Across  the  road  from  the  most  ruined  end  of  the  can- 
teen building  stood  an  old  church.  All  of  its  north  wall 
was  gone  save  a  supporting  column  in  the  middle,  all  the 
north  roof  gone.  There  were  holes  in  all  the  other  walls, 
and  all  the  windows  were  gone.  The  floor  was  covered 
with  debris  and  wreckage.  It  had  been  used  all  day  for  an 
evacuation  hospital. 

Just  over  the  altar  was  a  wonderful  picture  of  the 
Christ  ascending  to  heaven.  It  was  still  uninjured  save 
for  a  shot  through  the  heart. 

The  military  officer  stood  on  the  steps  of  this  ruined 
church,  and,  looking  around  in  perplexity,  remarked : 

"Well,  I  guess  this  is  the  wholest  place  in  town." 
Then  stepping  inside  he  glanced  about  and  pointed : 

"  And  this  is  the  most  secluded  spot  here !  " 

The  seclusion  was  a  pillar !  But  the  girls  were  glad  to 
get  even  that  for  there  was  no  other  place,  and  they  were 
very  weary.  So  they  set  up  their  little  cots,  and  prepared 
to  roll  themselves  in  their  blankets  for  a  well-earned  rest. 

The  boys  had  built  a  small  bonfire  on  the  stone  floor 
against  a  piece  of  one  wall  that  was  still  standing,  and  now 
they  sent  a  deputation  to  know  if  the  girls  would  bring  their 
guitars  over  and  have  a  little  music.  The  boys,  of  course, 
had  no  idea  that  the  girls  had  not  slept  for  more  than 
twenty-four  hours,  and  the  girls  never  told  them.  They 


2  si 


H 

D  C 


B    H 
PJ  M 

SK 
>« 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  247 

never  even  cast  one  wistful  glance  toward  their  waiting 
cots,  but  smilingly  assented,  and  went  and  got  their 
instruments. 

Beneath  the  picture  of  the  Christ,  in  front  of  the  altar 
a  few  men  were  at  work  in  an  improvised  office  with  four 
candles  burning  around  them.  In  the  rear  of  the  church 
Lt.-Col.  Frederick  K.  Fitzpatrick  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Tenth  Ammunition  Train  had  his  office,  and  there  another 
candle  was  burning.  Some  wounded  men  lay  on  stretchers 
in  the  shadowed  northwest  corner,  and  around  the  little  fire 
the  five  Salvation  Army  lassies  sat  among  two  hundred 
soldiers.  They  sang  at  first  the  popular  songs  that  every- 
body knew :  "  The  Long,  Long  Trail,"  "  Keep  the  Home 
Fires  Burning,"  "  Pack  Up  Your  Troubles  in  Your  Old  Kit 
Bag  and  Smile !  Smile !  Smile !  "  and  "  Keep  Your  Head 
Down,  Fritzie  Boy ! " 

By  and  by  some  one  called  for  a  hymn,  and  then  other 
hymns  followed :  "  Jesus  Lover  of  My  Soul,"  "  When  the 
Boll  Is  Called  Up  Yonder,"  and,  as  always,  the  old  favorite, 
"  Tell  Mother  I'll  Be  There ! » 

They  sang  for  at  least  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  then  they 
did  not  want  to  stop.  Oh,  but  it  was  a  great  sound  that 
rolled  through  the  old  broken  walls  of  the  church  and 
floated  out  into  the  night!  One  of  the  lassies  said  she 
would  not  change  crowds  with  the  biggest  choir  in  New 
York. 

Then  they  asked  the  girls  to  sing  and  the  room  was 
rery  still  as  two  sweet  voices  thrilled  out  in  a  tender 
melody,  speaking  every  word  distinctly : 

Beautiful  Jesus,  Bright  Star  of  earth  1 
Loving  end  tender  from  moment  of  birth, 
Beautiful  Jesus,  though  lowly  Thy  lot, 
Born  in  a  manger,  BO  rude  was  Thy  cot! 


248  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Beautiful  Jesus,  gentle  and  mild, 
Light  for  the  sinner  in  ways  dark  and  wild, 
Beautiful  Jesus,  O  save  such  just  now, 
As  at  Thy  feet  they  in  penitence  bow! 

Beautiful  Christ!    Beautiful  Christ! 
Fairest  of  thousands  and  Pearl  of  great  price! 
Beautiful  Christ!     Beautiful  Christ! 
Gladly  we  welcome  Thee,  Beautiful  Christ! 

Before  they  had  finished  many  eyes  had  turned  instinc- 
tively toward  the  picture  in  the  weirdly  flickering  light. 

Then  the  young  Captain-lassie  asked  her  sister  to  read 
the  Ninety-first  Psalm,  "  He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret 
place  of  the  Most  High  shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Almighty,"  and  she  told  them  that  was  a  promise  for  those 
who  trusted  in  God,  and  she  wished  they  would  think  about 
it  while  they  were  going  to  sleep. 

"  This  evening  has  made  me  think  so  much  of  home," 
she  said  thoughtfully,  drooping  her  lashes  and  then  raising 
them  with  a  sweeping  glance  that  included  the  whole  group, 
while  the  firelight  flickered  up  and  lit  her  lovely  serious 
face,  and  touched  her  hair  with  lights  of  gold,  "I  sup- 
pose it  has  made  every  one  else  feel  that  way/'  she  went  on ; 
"  I  mean  especially  the  evenings  at  home  when  the  family 
gathered  in  the  parlor,  with  one  at  the  piano  and  brothers 
with  their  horns,  and  the  rest  with  some  kind  of  instru- 
ment, and  we  had  a  good  '  sing ; '  and  afterward  father 
took  the  Bible  and  read  the  evening  chapter,  and  then  we 
had  family  prayers  and  kissed  Mamma  and  Papa  good 
night  and  went  to  bed.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  many  of  you 
used  to  have  homes  like  that?  " 

The  lassie  raised  her  eyes  again  and  looked  on  them. 
Many  of  the  men  nodded.  It  was  beautiful  to  see  the  look 
that  came  into  their  faces  at  these  recollections. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  249 

"And  you  used  to  have  family  prayers,  too,  didn't- 
you  ?  "  she  asked  eagerly. 

They  nodded  once  more  but  some  of  them  turned  their 
faces  away  from  the  light  quickly  and  brushed  the  back  of 
their  hands  across  their  eyes. 

"  To-night  has  been  a  family  gathering,"  she  went  on, 
"  We  girls  are  little  sisters  to  all  you  big  brothers,  and  we 
have  had  a  delightful  time  with  just  the  family,  and  the 
evening  chapter  has  been  read,  and  now  I  think  it  would 
not  be  complete  if  we  did  not  have  the  family  prayers  be- 
fore we  separate  and  go  to  sleep." 

Down  went  the  heads  in  response,  with  reverent  mienr 
and  the  place  was  very  still  while  the  lassie  prayed.  After- 
ward the  boys  joined  their  gruff  voices,  husky  now  with 
emotion,  into  the  universal  prayer  with  which  she  closed : 
"  Our  Father  which  are  in  heaven " 

They  were  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  gathered 
around  the  little  fire  in  that  old  shell-torn  church  in  Neu- 
villy  that  night.  To  quote  from  a  letter  written  by  a 
military  officer,  Lt-Col.  Frederick  B.  Fitzpatrick,  to  his 
wife: 

"There  was  the  lad  who  was  willing  but  not  strong  enough 
for  field  work,  who  was  in  the  rear  with  the  office;  the  walking 
wounded  who  had  stopped  for  something  to  eat;  the  big,  strong 
mule  skinner  who  could  throw  a  mule  down  or  lift  a  case  of 
ammunition,  who  was  rough  in  appearance  and  speech  and  who 
would  deny  that  the  moisture  in  his  eye  was  anything)  but  the 
effects  of  the  cold.  There  were  the  men  who  had  been  facing 
death  a  thousand  times  an  hour  for  the  last  three  days,  who  had 
not  had  a  wash  or  a  chance  to  take  off  their  shoes  and  had  been 
lying  in  mud  in  shell  holes — men  who  looked  as  though  they 
were  chilled  through  and  through ;  men  on  their  way  to  the  front, 
well  knowing  all  the  hardships  and  dangers  which  were  ahead  of 
them,  but  who  were  worried  only  about  the  delay  in  the  traffic; 
doctors  who  had  been  working  for  three  days  without  rest;  men 


S50  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

off  ammunition  and  ration  trucks,  who  had  been  at  the  wheel  so 
long  that  they  had  forgotten  whether  it  was  three  or  four  days 
and  nights;  wounded  on  their  stretchers  enjoying  a  smoke.  And 
as  I  stepped  in  the  door  there  were  the  feminine  voices  singing 
the  good  old  tunes  we  all  know  so  well,  and  not  a  sound  in  the 
church  but  as  an  accompaniment  the  distant  booming  of  big 
guns,  the  rattle  of  small  arms,  the  whirl  of  air  craft,  the  passing 
of  the  ever-present  column  of  trucks  with  rations  and  ammunition 
going  up,  and  the  wounded  coming  back;  the  shouted  directions  of 
the  traffic  police,  the  sound  of  the  ammunition  dump  just  outside 
the  door  and  the  rattle  of  the  kitchens  which  surround  the  church, 
and  which  are  working  twenty-four  hours  a  day. 

There  was  the  crowd  of  men,  each  uncovered,  giving  absolute 
undivided  attention  to  the  good,  brave  girls  who  were  not  making 
a  meeting  of  it;  it  was  just  a  meeting  which  grew — men  who 
in  their  minds  were  back  with  mother  and  sister.  The  girls  sang 
the  good  old  songs,  and  then  one  of  them  offered  a  short  prayer, 
in  which  all  the  men  joined  in  spirit,  and  as  I  tip-toed  out  of  the 
Church  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  four  candles  at  the  altar  did  not 
give  all  the  light  that  was  shown  on  the  picture  of  Christ  our 
Saviour.  Every  man  in  the  building  that  night  was  in  the  very 
presence  of  God.  It  was  not  a  religious  meeting ;  it  was  a  meeting 
full  of  religion.  And  it  was  a  picture  that  will  ever  stand  fresh 
in  my  memory  and  which  will  be  an  inspiration  in  time  of  doubt. 
There  was  nothing  there  but  the  real  things,  absolutely  no  sham  of 
any  kind.  Oh,  it  was  wonderful!  I  hope  you  can  get  just  a 
little  idea  of  what  it  was.  I  wish  you  would  keep  this  letter.  I 
want  to  be  able  to  read  it  in  future  years." 

In  what  remained  of  another  village  not  far  distant 
from  Neuvilly,  the  lassies  had  a  tent  erected.  The  rain 
was  endless — a  driving  drizzle  which  quickly  soaked 
through  everything  but  the  staunchest  raincoats  in  a  very 
few  moments.  The  ground  was  so  thickly  covered  by  shell 
craters  that  they  could  find  no  clear  space  wide  enough  for 
the  tent.  It  so  happened  that  almost  in  the  centre  of  the 
tent  there  was  a  big  shell  crater.  In  this  the  girls  lighted 
a  fire.  All  through  the  night,  and  through  nights  to  fol- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  251 

low,  wounded  men  limping  back  through  the  rain  and  mud 
to  the  dressing  stations  came  in  to  warm  themselves  around 
the  fire  in  the  shell  hole,  and  to  drink  of  the  coffee  pre- 
pared by  the  girls.  As  they  sat  around  the  blazing  wood, 
the  fire  cast  strange  shadows  on  the  bleached  brown  canvas 
of  the  tent.  In  spite  of  their  wounds,  they  were  very  cheer- 
ful, singing  as  lightly  as  though  they  were  safe  at  home. 

Everybody  had  worked  hard  at  Neuvilly,  but  they 
felt  they  must  get  to  their  own  outfit  as  soon  as  possible  at 
the  Field  Hospital  up  in  Cheppy  where  the  wounded  were 
coming  in  droves  and  the  boys  were  pouring  in  from  the 
front  half-starved,  having  been  fighting  all  night  with 
nothing  to  eat  except  reserve  rations.  Some  had  been 
longer  with  only  such  rations  as  they  took  from  their  dead 
comrades.  The  need  was  most  urgent,  but  the  puzzle  was 
how  to  get  there.  The  roads  had  been  shelled  and  ploughed 
by  explosives  until  there  was  no  possible  semblance  of  a 
way,  and  there  were  no  conveyances  to  be  had.  The  Zone 
Major  had  gone  back  for  supplies,  telling  the  girls  to  get 
the  first  conveyance  possible  going  up  the  road.  That  was 
enough  for  the  girls.  "  We've  got  to  get  there  "  they  said, 
and  when  they  said  that  one  knew  they  would.  They 
searched  diligently  and  at  last  found  a  way.  One  girl  rode 
on  a  reel  cart,  one  on  a  mule  team  and  one  went  with  an 
old  wagon.  They  went  over  roads  that  had  to  be  made 
ahead  of  them  by  the  engineers,  and  late  in  the  night, 
bruised  and  sore  from  head  to  foot,  they  arrived  at  their 
destination. 

The  next  morning  they  reported  at  the  hospital  for 
work  and  the  Major  in  charge  said :  "  I  never  was  so  glad 
to  see  anybody  in  my  life ! " 

They  went  straight  to  work  and  served  coffee  and  sand- 
wiches to  the  poor  half-starved  men.  The  Red  Cross  men 


252  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

were  there,  also,  with  sandwiches,  hot  chocolate  and  candy. 

The  wounded  men  continued  to  pour  in,  later  to  be 
evacuated  to  the  base  hospital;  they  kept  coming  and  com- 
ing, a  thousand  men  where  two  hundred  had  been  expected. 
There  was  plenty  to  be  done.  The  girls  were  put  in  charge 
of  different  wards.  They  were  under  shell  fire  continu- 
ally, but  they  were  too  busy  to  think  of  that  as  they  hurried 
about  ministering  to  the  brave  soldiers,  who  gave  never  a 
groan  from  their  white  lips  no  matter  what  they  suffered. 

The  girls  worked  about  eighteen  hours  a  day,  and  slept 
from  about  one  or  two  at  night  to  five  or  six  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  hospital  was  in  front  of  the  artillery  and  every 
shell  that  went  over  to  Germany  passed  over  their  heads. 
When  they  had  been  there  five  days  under  continual  shell 
fire  from  the  enemy  the  General  gave  orders  that  they  must 
leave,  that  it  was  no  fit  place  for  women  so  near  to  the  front. 

When  the  Salvation  Army  Zone  Major  brought  this 
order  to  the  girls  rebellion  shone  in  their  eyes  and  they 
declared  they  would  not  leave!  They  knew  they  were 
needed  there,  and  there  they  would  stay !  The  Zone  Major 
surveyed  them  with  intense  satisfaction.  He  turned  on  hie 
heel  and  went  back  to  the  General : 

"  General,"  he  said,  with  a  twinkle,  "  my  girls  saj  they 
won't  go." 

The  General's  face  softened,  and  the  twinkle  flashed 
across  to  his  eyes,  with  something  like  a  tear  behind  its  fire. 
Somehow  he  didn't  look  like  a  Commanding  Officer  who 
had  just  been  defied.  A  wonderful  light  broke  orer  his 
face  and  he  said : 

"Well,  if  the  Salvation  Army  wants  to  stay  let  them 
stay !  "  And  so  they  stayed. 

It  was  in  a  German-dug  cave  that  they  had  their  head- 
quarters, cut  out  of  the  side  of  a  hill  and  opening  into  the 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  253 

hospital  yard.  It  was  a  work  of  art,  that  cave.  There  was 
a  passage-way  a  hundred  feet  long  with  avenues  each  side 
and  places  for  cots,  room  enough  to  accommodate  a  hun- 
dred men. 

The  German  airplanes  came  in  droves.  When  the  bugle 
sounded  every  one  must  get  under  cover.  There  must 
be  nobody  in  sight  for  the  Germans  were  out  to  get  indi- 
viduals, and  even  one  person  was  not  too  insignificant  for 
them  to  waste  their  ammunition  upon.  They  had  a  mis- 
taken idea,  perhaps,  that  this  sort  of  thing  destroyed  our 
morale.  The  tents,  of  course,  were  no  protection  against 
shells  and  bombs,  and  presently  the  Boche  began  to  shell 
the  town  in  good  earnest,  especially  at  night.  Gas  alarms, 
also,  would  sound  out  in  the  middle  of  the  night  and  every- 
body would  have  to  rush  out  and  put  on  their  gas  masks. 
They  would  not  last  long  at  a  time,  of  course,  but  it  broke 
up  any  rest  that  might  have  been  had,  and  it  was  only  too 
evident  that  the  enemy  was  trying  to  get  the  range  on  the 
hospital. 

One  morning,  standing  by  the  window  making  cocoa  for 
the  boys,  one  of  the  lassies  saw  an  eight-inch  shell  land 
between  the  hospital  tents,  ten  feet  in  front  of  the  window, 
and  only  five  feet  from  the  door  of  the  place  where  the 
severely  wounded  were  lying.  These  shells  always  kill  at 
two  hundred  feet  All  that  saved  them  was  that  the  shell 
buried  itself  deep  in  the  soft  earth  and  was  a  dud. 

The  shells  were  coming  every  twenty  minutes  and  there 
was  no  time  to  lose  for  now  the  enemy  had  their  range.  At 
once  all  hands  got  busy  and  began  to  evacuate  the  wounded 
men  into  the  Salvation  Army  cave.  The  cave  would  accom- 
modate seventy  men,  but  they  managed  to  get  a  hundred 
men  inside,  most  of  them  on  litters.  They  were  all  safe  and 
the  girls  heard  the  whistle  of  the  next  shell  and  made  haste 


THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

toward  safety  themselves.  But  someone  had  carelessly 
dropped  a  whole  outfit  of  blankets  and  things  across  the 
passageway  of  the  dugout  and  the  first  woman  to  enter  fell 
across  it,  shutting  out  the  other  two.  Before  anything 
could  be  done  the  next  shell  struck  the  doorway,  partly 
burying  the  fallen  young  woman.  Inside  the  dugout  rocks 
came  down  on  some  of  the  men  on  litters,  and  anxious  hands 
extricated  the  lassie  from  the  debris  that  had  fallen  upon 
her,  and  lifted  her  tenderly.  She  was  pretty  badly  bruised 
and  lamed,  besides  being  wounded  on  her  leg,  but  the  brave 
young  woman  would  not  claim  her  wound,  nor  let  it  be- 
come known  to  the  military  authorities  lest  they  would  for- 
bid the  girls  to  stay  at  the  front  any  longer.  So  for  three 
weeks  she  patiently  limped  about  and  worked  with  the  rest, 
quietly  bearing  her  pain,  and  would  not  go  to  the  hospital 
One  lassie  outside  was  struck  on  the  helmet  by  a  piece  of 
falling  rock.  If  she  had  not  had  on  her  helmet  she  would 
have  been  killed. 

The  shelling  continued  for  six  hours. 

The  hospital  was  all  the  time  filled  with  wounded  men 
and  there  was  plenty  to  be  done  twenty-four  hours  out  of 
every  day.  The  women  moved  about  among  the  men  as  if 
they  were  their  own  brothers. 

A  poor  shell-shocked  boy  lay  on  his  cot  talking  wildly 
in  delirium,  living  over  the  battle  again,  charging  his  men, 
ordering  them  to  advance. 

"Company  H.  Advance!  See  that  hill  over  there? 
Ifs  full  of  Germans,  but  we've  got  to  take  it!" 

Then  he  turned  over  and  began  to  sob  and  cry,  "Oh 
God!  Oh  God!" 

A  lassie  went  to  him  and  soothed  him,  talking  to  him 
gently  about  home,  asking  him  questions  about  his  mother, 
until  he  grew  calm  and  began  to  answer  her,  and  rested 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  «55 

back  quite  rationally.  The  stretcher-bearers  came  to  take 
him  to  another  hospital,  and  he  started  up,  put  out  his 
hand  and  cried :  "  Oh,  nurse !  I've  got  to  get  back  to  my 
men!  I'm  the  only  one  left!" 

Thus  the  heart-breaking  scenes  were  multiplied. 

One  boy  came  back  to  the  hospital  in  the  Argonne 
badly  wounded.  He  called  the  lassie  to  him  one  day  as  she 
passed  through  the  ward,  and  motioned  her  to  lean  down 
so  he  could  talk  to  her.  He  said  he  knew  he  was  hard  hit 
and  he  wanted  to  tell  her  something. 

"  I  was  wounded,  lying  on  the  ground  over  there  in  No 
Man's  Land,"  he  went  on.  "It  was  all  dark  and  I  was 
waiting  for  someone  to  come  along  and  help  me.  I  thought 
it  was  all  up  with  me  and  while  I  was  lying  there  I  felt 
something.  I  can't  explain  it,  but  I  knew  it  was  there  and 
I  saw  my  mother  and  I  prayed.  Then  my  Buddy  came 
along  and  I  asked  him  if  he  could  baptize  me.  He  said  he 
wasn't  very  good  himself  but  he  guessed  the  heavenly 
Father  would  understand.  So  he  stooped  down  and  got 
some  muddy  water  out  of  a  shell  hole  close  by  and  put  it  on 
my  forehead,  and  prayed;  and  now  I  know  it's  all  right. 
I  wanted  you  to  know." 

Often  the  boys,  just  before  they  went  over  the  top,  would 
come  to  these  girls  and  say: 

"  We're  going  up  there,  now.  You  pray  for  us,  won't 
you?" 

One  day  some  boys  came  to  the  hut  when  there  were  not 
many  about  and  asked  the  girls  if  they  might  talk  with 
them.  These  boys  were  going  over  the  top  that  night. 

"We  fellows  want  to  ask  you  something,"  they  said. 
"  Some  of  the  chaplains  have  been  telling  us  that  if  we  go 
over  there  and  die  for  liberty  that  it'll  be  all  right  with  us 
afterward.  But  we  don't  believe  that  dope  and  we  want  to 


256  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

know  the  truth.  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  if  a'  man  has 
lived  like  the  devil  he's  going  to  be  saved  just  because  he 
got  killed  fighting?  Why,  some  of  us  fellows  didn't  even 
go  of  our  own  accord.  We  were  drafted.  And  do  you  mean 
to  tell  me  that  counts  just  the  same?  We  want  to  know 
the  truth ! " 

And  then  the  girls  had  their  opportunity  to  point  the 
way  to  Jesus  and  speak  of  repentance,  salvation  from  sin, 
and  faith  in  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 

A  lassie  was  stooping  over  one  young  boy  lying  on  a 
cot,  washing  his  face  and  trying  to  make  him  more  com- 
fortable, and  she  noticed  a  hole  in  his  breast  pocket.  Stoop- 
ing closer  she  examined  it  and  found  it  was  a  piece  of  high 
explosive  shell  that  had  gone  through  the  cloth  of  his 
pocket  and  was  embedded  in  his  Testament^  which  he,  like 
many  of  the  boys,  always  kept  in  his  breast  pocket. 

Another  boy  lay  on  a  cot  biting  his  lips  to  bear  the 
agony  of  pain,  and  she  asked  him  what  was  the  matter,  was 
the  wound  in  his  leg  so  bad  ?  He  nodded  without  opening 
his  eyes.  She  went  to  ask  the  doctor  if  the  boy  couldn't 
have  some  morphine  to  dull  the  pain.  The  Sergeant  in 
charge  came  over  and  looked  at  him,  examined  the  band- 
age on  the  boy's  leg  and  then  exclaimed :  "  Who  bandaged 
this  leg  ?" 

"  I  did/'  said  the  boy  weakly,  « I  did  the  best  I  could." 

The  poor  fellow  had  bandaged  his  own  leg  and  then 
walked  to  the  hospital.  The  bandage  had  looked  all  right 
and  no  one  had  examined  it  until  then,  but  the  Sergeant 
found  that  it  was  so  tight  that  it  had  stopped  the  circula- 
tion. He  took  off  the  bandage  and  made  him  comfortable, 
and  the  agony  left  him.  In  a  little  while  the  Salvation 
Army  lassie  passed  that  way  again  and  found  the  boy  with 
a  little  book  open,  reading. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  257 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  she  asked,  looking  at  the  book. 

"  My  Testament/'  he  answered  with  a  smile. 

"  Are  you  a  Christian  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes/'  he  said  with  another  smile  that  meant 
volumes. 

It  grew  dark  in  the  tent  for  they  dared  not  have  lights 
on  account  of  the  enemy  always  watching,  but  stooping 
near  a  little  later  she  could  see  that  his  lips  were  murmur- 
ing in  prayer.  There  was  an  angelic  smile  on  his  white, 
dead  face  in  the  morning  when  they  came  to  take  him  away. 

There  was  a  funeral  every  day  in  that  place.  A  hun- 
dred boys  were  buried  that  week.  Always  the  girls  sang  at 
the  graves,  and  prayed.  There  would  be  just  the  grave 
digger,  a  few  people,  and  some  of  the  boys.  Off  to  one  side 
the  Germans  were  buried.  When  the  simple  services  over 
our  own  dead  were  complete  one  of  the  girls  would  say: 
"Now,  friends,  let  us  go  and  say  a  prayer  beside  our 
enemy's  graves.  They  are  some  mother's  boys,  and  some 
woman  is  waiting  for  them  to  come  home !  " 

And  then  the  prayers  would  be  said  once  more,  and 
another  song  sung. 

Those  were  solemn,  sorrowful  times,  death  and  destruc- 
tion on  every  side.  The  fighting  was  everywhere.  United 
States  anti-aircraft  guns  firing  at  German  planes;  GeD- 
mans  firing  at  us ;  air  fights  in  the  sky  above. 

And  in  the  midst  of  it  all  the  boys  had  meetings  every 
night  on  log  piles  out  in  the  open.  These  meetings  would 
begin  with  popular  songs,  but  the  boys  would  soon  ask  for 
the  hymns  and  the  meetings  would  work  themselves  out 
without  any  apparent  leading  up  to  it.  The  boys  wanted 
it.  They  wanted  to  hear  about  religious  things.  They 
hungered  for  it.  So  they  were  held  at  the  throne  of  God 
17 


258  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

each  night  by  the  wonderful  men  and  girls  who  had  learned 
to  know  human  hearts,  and  had  attained  such  skill  in  lead- 
ing them  to  the  Christ  for  whom  they  lived. 

It  was  not  alone  the  doughnut  that  bound  the  hearts 
of  the  boys  to  the  Salvation  Army  in  France,  it  was  what 
was  behind  the  doughnut;  and  here,  in  these  wonderful 
God-led  meetings  they  found  the  secret  of  it  all.  Many  of 
them  came  and  told  the  girls  they  did  not  believe  in  the  so- 
called  "trench  religion"  and  wanted  to  know  the  truth 
from  them.  And  those  girls  told  them  the  way  of  eternal 
life  in  a  simple,  beautiful  way,  not  mincing  matters,  nor 
ignoring  their  sins  and  unworthiness,  but  pointing  the  way 
to  the  Christ  who  died  to  save  them  from  sin,  and  who  even 
now  was  waiting  in  silent  Presence  to  offer  them  Himself. 
Great  numbers  of  the  men  accepted  Christ,  and  pledged 
themselves  to  live  or  die  for  Him  whatever  came  to  them. 

How  close  the  Salvation  Army  people  had  grown  to  the 
hearts  and  lives  of  the  men  was  shown  by  the  fact  that  when 
they  came  back  from  the  fight  they  would  always  come  to 
them  as  if  they  had  come  to  report  at  home : 

"  We've  escaped !  "  they  would  say.  "  We  don't  know 
how  it  is,  but  we  think  it's  because  you  girls  were  praying 
for  us,  and  the  folks  at  home  were  praying,  too ! " 

There  were  three  cardinal  principles  which  were  deemed 
necessary  to  success  in  this  work.  The  first  and  most  im- 
portant depended  upon  winning  the  confidence  of  the  boys. 
This  was  a  prime  requisite  in  any  work  with  the  boys, 
especially  by  a  religious  organization. 

The  first  quality  looked  for  in  a  person  professing  re- 
ligion is  always  consistency.  It  was  felt  that  if  the  boys 
saw  that  the  Salvation  Army  was  consistent,  that  it  stood 
only  for  those  things  in  France  which  it  was  known  to 
stand  for  in  the  United  States,  that  the  first  step  would  be 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  259 

established  in  winning  the  confidence  of  the  boy.  It  was 
therefore  determined  that  the  Salvation  Army  would  not, 
under  any  circumstances,  compromise,  and  that  it  should 
stand  out  in  its  religious  work  and  adhere  to  its  teachings 
as  firmly  and  as  vigorously  as  it  was  known  to  do  at  home. 

A  stand  upon  the  tobacco  question  was,  therefore, 
highly  important.  Other  organizations  were  encouraging 
the  use  of  tobacco  but  those  who  had  come  in  contact  with 
the  Salvation  Army  at  home  knew  that  it  had  always  dis- 
couraged its  use,  and  although  the  officers  had  to  go  against 
the  judgment  of  many  high  military  authorities  who 
thought  they  should  handle  it,  they  decided  that  the  Sal- 
vation Army  would  not  handle  tobacco  and  that  no  one 
wearing  its  uniform  should  use  it.  The  consistency  of  the 
Salvation  Army  and  the  careful  conduct  of  its  workers  won 
the  esteem  of  the  boys. 

The  second  requisite  was  that  the  Salvation  Army  should 
be  willing  to  share  their  hardships.  To  accomplish  this,  it 
was  made  a  rule  that  Salvation  Army  workers  should  not 
mess  with  the  officers  but  should  draw  their  rations  at  the 
soldiers'  mess,  also  that  they  should  not  associate  with  the 
officers  more  than  was  absolutely  necessary  and  that  in  the 
huts.  It  was  neither  possible  nor  desirable  that  officers 
should  be  kept  out  of  the  huts,  but  as  far  as  possible  sol- 
diers were  made  to  feel  that  the  Salvation  Army  was  in 
France  to  serve  them  and  not  for  its  own  pleasure  or 
convenience. 

The  third  requisite  was  that  the  Salvation  Army  should 
be  willing  to  share  their  dangers  and  this  was  proved  to 
them  when  they  went  to  the  trenches — the  Salvation  Army 
moved  to  the  trenches  with  them  and  established  huts  and 
outposts  as  close  to  the  front  line  as  was  permitted. 


X. 

THE  AEMISTICE. 

AFTER  the  Armistice  was  signed,  on  November  llth,  it 
was  a  great  question  what  disposition  would  be  made  of  the 
troops.  It  was  concluded  that  they  would  be  sent  home  as 
rapidly  as  possible  and  that  the  three  ports — Brest,  St. 
Nazaire  and  Bordeaux — would  be  used  for  that  purpose. 
Immediately  arrangements  were  made  for  the  opening  of 
Salvation  Army  work  at  the  base  ports  with  a  view  to  let- 
ting the  boys  have  a  last  sight  of  the  Salvation  Army  as 
they  left  the  shores  of  France.  The  Salvation  Army  had 
served  them  in  the  training  area  and  at  the  front  and  were 
still  serving  them  as  they  left  the  shores  of  the  old  world 
and  it  would  meet  them  again  when  they  arrived  on  the 
shores  of  the  home-land.  In  this  way  the  contact  of  the 
Salvation  Army  would  be  continuous,  so  that  when  they 
returned,  it  would  be  able  to  reach  their  hearts  and  affect 
their  lives  with  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

The  problem  of  buildings  was,  of  course,  the  first  one 
and  a  very  difficult  one.  To  secure  buildings  of  adequate 
size,  which  could  be  constructed  in  a  short  space  of  time, 
was  almost  out  of  the  question,  but  it  occurred  to  the 
officers  that  the  aviation  section  would  be  demobilizing  and 
that  they  had  brought  over  portable  steel  buildings,  for  use 
as  hangars.  The  matter  was  taken  up  at  once  with  the 
military  authorities  and  twenty  of  these  steel  buildings 
were  secured — each  of  them  sixty-six  feet  wide  by  one  hun- 
dred feet  long.  It  was  planned  to  place  eight  of  them  at 
Bordeaux,  six  at  St.  Nazaire  and  six  at  Brest.  By  placing 
two  of  them  end  to  end  it  was  possible  to  secure  one  audi- 
torium sixty-six  feet  wide  by  two  hundred  feet  long — capa- 

260 


THE  SALVATION  AKMY  261 

ble  of  seating  three  thousand  men.  Adjoining  that  could 
be  another  building  sixty-six  feet  by  one  hundred  feet,  to 
be  used  for  canteen  and  rest  room. 

It  was  planned  to  proceed  with  a  religious  campaign 
at  these  Base  Ports,  holding  Salvation  meetings  in  these 
extensive  departments. 

When  the  Army  of  Occupation  was  started  for  Germany, 
two  Salvation  Army  trucks  were  assigned  to  go  along  with 
the  Army.  Whenever  the  Army  of  Occupation  stopped  for 
a  space  of  two  or  three  days,  places  were  secured  where 
doughnuts  could  be  fried,  pies  made,  and  at  all  times  hot 
coffee  and  chocolate  were  available  for  the  men. 

When  the  American  soldiers  marched  through  the  vil- 
lages of  Alsace-Lorraine  the  Salvationists  marched  with 
them.  At  Esch  and  Luxemburg  they  were  in  all  the  re- 
joicing and  triumph  of  the  parade,  bringing  succor  and 
comfort  wherever  they  could  find  an  opportunity. 

When  the  men  arrived  at  Coblenz  the  Salvation  Army 
was  there  before  them,  and  on  their  crossing  the  Rhine, 
arrangements  had  been  made  for  the  location  of  the  Sal- 
vation Army  work  at  the  principal  points  in  the  Rhine- 
head.  They  are  now  conducting  Salvation  Army  opera- 
tions with  the  Army  of  Occupation. 

One  of  the  occasions  when  President  Wilson  clapped  for 
the  Salvation  Army  was  at  the  inauguration  of  the  Sol- 
diers' Association  in  Paris.  The  Y  had  invited  all  the  other 
organizations  to  be  present.  The  meeting  was  held  in  the 
Palais  de  Glace,  which  seats  about  ten  thousand  people. 

President  and  Mrs.  Wilson  were  present,  accompanied 
by  many  prominent  American  officials.  Representatives  of 
the  various  War  Work  Organizations  spoke. 

The  Salvationist  who  had  been  selected  to  represent  the 


262  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Army  at  this  meeting  had  been  in  the  United  States  Navy 
for  twelve  years  and  was  a  chaplain. 

When  he  was  called  upon  to  speak  the  boys  with  one 
accord  as  if  by  preconcerted  action  arose  to  their  feet  and 
gave  him  an  ovation.  Of  course,  it  was  not  given  to  the 
man  but  to  the  uniform. 

A  soldier  of  the  Eainbow  Division  sitting  next  to  one 
of  the  Salvation  Army  workers  over  there,  kept  telling 
him  what  the  boys  thought  of  the  Salvation  Army,  and 
when  the  cheering  began  he  poked  the  Salvationist  in  the 
ribs  and  whispered  joyously : 

"I  told  you!  I  told  you!  We've  just  been  waiting 
for  eight  months  to  pull  this  off !  Now,  you  see !  " 

The  speaker  when  given  opportunity  did  not  attempt  to 
make  a  great  speech.  He  told  in  simple,  vivid  sentences 
of  the  services  of  the  Salvation  Army  just  back  of  the 
trenches  under  fire ;  and  President  Wilson  sat  listening  and 
applauding  with  the  rest. 

The  chaplain  paid  a  tribute  to  President  Wilson,  fin- 
ishing with  these  words : 

"  President  Wilson  was  not  man-elected,  but  God- 
selected  ! " 

CHAPLAINS. 

For  some  little  time  after  the  War  started  it  was  a  ques- 
tion as  to  whether  the  Salvation  Army  was  entitled  to  any 
representation  in  the  realm  of  Chaplaincies  of  the  United 
States  forces.  During  the  progress  of  the  consideration 
Adjutant  Harry  Kline  secured  an  appointment  with  the 
Nebraska  National  Guard,  and  his  regiment  being  made  a 
part  of  the  National  Army,  he  was  received  as  an  officer  of 
the  same  and  thus  became  our  first  Army  Chaplain. 

The  War  Office  decided  favorably  with  regard  to  the 
question  of  our  general  representation,  and  shortly  there- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  263 

after  Adjutant  John  Allan,  of  Bowery  fame,  was  given  a 
first  lieutenancy  and  then  followed,  in  the  order  given, 
Captain  Ernest  Holz,  Adjutant  By  an  and  Captain  Nor- 
man Marshall. 

The  exceptional  service  that  these  men  have  rendered  is 
of  sufficient  importance  to  have  a  much  wider  notice  than 
where  only  the  barest  of  reference  is  possible.  Shortly  after 
arrival  in  France  Chaplain  Allan  was  being  very  favorably 
noticed  because  of  the  character  of  the  work  which  he  was 
doing,  and  it  was  gratifying  to  learn  that  this  confidence 
was  reflected  in  his  appointment  as  Senior  Chaplain  of  his 
regiment  and  his  assignment  to  special  service  where  probity 
and  wisdom  were  essential.  Shortly  thereafter  he  was  taken 
to  the  Army  Headquarters,  where  up  to  the  present  time  he 
is  most  highly  esteemed  as  a  co-laborer  with  Bishop  Brent, 
the  Chaplain-General  of  the  overseas  forces. 

Typical  of  the  enthusiasm  of  each  of  the  five  men 
appointed  as  Chaplains,  the  following  story  is  told  of  First 
Lieutenant  Ernest  Holz,  who  was  inducted  into  his  office 
as  Senior  Chaplain  of  his  regiment  right  at  the  com- 
mencement of  his  career. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year,  when  Chaplain  Holz 
knew  his  Salvation  Army  comrades  would,  as  usual,  be 
engaged  in  special  revival  work,  he  thought  it  would  be 
a  worthy  thing  to  time  a  similar  effort  among  the  men  of 
his  regiment.  Approaching  the  Colonel,  he  found  him  in 
hearty  agreement  concerning  the  effort,  and  so  securing  the 
assistance  of  his  fellow  chaplains  they  arranged  for  a  series 
of  meetings  nightly  for  one  week,  with  the  result  that  two 
hundred  of  the  men  of  the  regiment  confessed  Christ  and 
practically  all  of  them  were  deeply  interested. 

The  effort  was  wholly  directed  to  the  uplift  of  the  men 
and  God  commanded  His  blessing  in  a  most  gratifying 
manner. 


XI. 

HOMECOMING. 

THE  boat  docked  that  morning,  and  one  soldier  at 
least,  as  he  stood  on  the  deck  and  watched  the  shores  of  his 
native  land  draw  nearer,  felt  mingling  with  the  thrill  of 
joy  at  his  return  a  vague  uneasiness.  He  was  coming  back, 
it  is  true,  but  it  had  been  a  long  time  and  a  lot  of  things 
had  happened.  For  one  thing  he  had  lost  his  foot.  That 
in  itself  was  a  pretty  stiff  proposition.  For  another  thing 
he  was  not  wearing  any  decorations  save  the  wound  stripes 
on  his  sleeve.  Those  would  have  been  enough,  and  more 
than  enough,  for  his  mother  if  she  were  alive,  but  she  had 
gone  away  from  earth  during  his  absence,  and  the  girl  he 
had  kissed  good-bye  and  promised  great  things  was  peculiar. 
The  question  was,  would  she  stand  for  that  amputated 
foot?  He  didn't  like  to  think  it  of  her,  but  he  found  he 
wasn't  sure.  Perhaps,  if  there  had  been  a  croix  de  guerre ! 
He  had  promised  her  to  win  that  and  no  end  of  other 
honors,  when  he  went  away  so  buoyant  and  hopeful;  but 
almost  on  his  first  day  of  real  battle  he  had  been  hurt 
and  tossed  aside  like  a  derelict,  to  languish  in  a  hospital, 
with  no  more  hope  of  winning  anything.  And  now  he  had 
come  home  with  one  foot  gone,  and  no  distinction ! 

He  hadn't  told  the  girl  yet  about  the  foot.  He  didn't 
know  as  he  should.  He  felt  lonely  and  desolate  in  spite  of 
his  joy  at  getting  back  to  "  God's  Country."  He  frowned 
at  the  hazy  outline  of  the  great  city  from  which  tall  build- 
ings were  beginning  to  differentiate  themselves  as  they 
drew  nearer.  There  was  New  York.  He  meant  to  see 
New  York,  of  course.  He  was  a  Westerner  and  had  never 

264 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  265 

"had  an  opportunity  to  go  about  the  metropolis  of  his  own 
country.  Of  course,  he  would  see  it  all.  Perhaps,  after 
he  was  demobilized  he  would  stay  there.  Maybe  he  wouldn't 
send  word  he  had  come  back.  Let  them  think  he  was  killed 
or  taken  prisoner,  or  missing,  or  anything  they  liked. 
There  were  things  to  do  in  New  York.  There  were 
places  where  he  would  be  welcome  even  with  one  foot 
gone  and  no  cross  of  war.  Thus  he  mused  as  the  boat 
drew  nearer  the  shore  and  the  great  city  loomed  close 
at  hand.  Then,  suddenly,  just  as  the  boat  was  touching 
the  pier  and  a  long  murmur  of  joy  went  up  from  the  wan- 
derers on  board,  his  eyes  dropped  idly  to  the  dock  and  there 
in  her  trim  little  overseas  uniform,  with  the  sunlight  glanc- 
ing from  the  silver  letters  on  the  scarlet  shield  of  her 
trench  cap  and  the  smile  radiating  from  her  sweet  face, 
stood  the  very  same  Salvation  Army  lassie  who  had  bent 
over  him  as  he  lay  on  the  ground  just  back  of  the  trenches 
waiting  to  be  put  in  the  ambulance  and  taken  to  the  hos- 
pital after  he  had  been  wounded.  He  could  feel  again  the 
throbbing  pain  in  his  leg,  the  sickening  pain  of  his  head 
as  he  lay  in  the  hot  sun,  with  the  flies  swarming  every- 
where, the  horrible  din  of  battle  all  about,  and  his  tongue 
parched  and  swollen  with  fever  from  lying  all  night  in  pain 
on  the  wet  ground  of  No  Man's  Land.  She  had  laid  a  soft 
little  hand  on  his  hot  forehead,  bathed  his  face,  and 
brought  him  a  cold  drink  of  lemonade.  If  he  lived  to  be  a 
hundred  years  old  he  would  never  taste  anything  so  good 
as  that  lemonade  had  been.  Afterward  the  doctor  said 
it  was  the  good  cold  drink  that  day  that  saved  the  lives 
of  those  fever  patients  who  had  lain  so  long  without  atten- 
tion. Oh,  he  would  never  forget  the  Salvation  lassie! 
And  there  she  was  alive  and  at  home!  She  hadn't  been 
killed  as  the  fellows  had  been  afraid  she  would.  She  had 


266  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

come  through  it  all  and  here  she  was  always  ahead  and 
waiting  to  welcome  a  fellow  home.  It  brought  the  tears 
smarting  to  his  eyes  to  think  about  it,  and  he  leaned  over 
the  rail  of  the  ship  and  yelled  himself  hoarse  with  the  rest 
over  her,  forgetting  all  about  his  lost  foot. 

It  was  hours  before  they  were  off  the  ship.  All  the  red 
tape  necessary  for  the  movement  of  such  a  company  of 
men  had  to  be  unwound  and  wound  up  again  smoothly,  and 
the  time  stretched  out  interminably ;  but  somehow  it  did  not 
seem  so  hard  to  wait  now,  for  there  was  someone  down  there 
on  the  dock  that  he  could  speak  to,  and  perhaps — just 
perhaps — he  would  tell  her  of  his  dilemma  about  his  girl. 
Somehow  he  felt  that  she  would  understand. 

He  watched  eagerly  when  he  was  finally  lined  up  on  the 
wharf  waiting  for  roll-call,  for  he  was  sure  she  would  come ; 
and  she  did,  swinging  down  the  line  with  her  arms  full  of 
chocolate,  handing  out  telegraph  blanks  and  postal  cards, 
real  postal  cards  with  a  stamp  on  them  that  could  be  mailed 
anywhere.  He  gripped  one  in  his  big,  rough  hand  as  if 
it  were  a  life  preserver.  A  real,  honest-to-goodness  postal 
card !  My  it  was  good  to  see  the  old  red  and  white  stamp 
again !  And  he  spoke  impulsively : 

"You're  the  girl  that  saved  my  life  out  there  in  the 
field,  don't  you  remember  ?  With  the  lemonade !  " 

Her  face  lit  up.  She  had  recognized  him  and  some- 
how cleared  one  hand  of  chocolate  and  telegrams  to  grasp 
his  with  a  hearty  welcome :  "  I'm  so  glad  you  came  through 
all  right ! "  her  cheery  voice  said. 

All  right!  All  right!  Did  she  call  it  all  right?  He 
looked  down  at  his  one  foot  with  a  dubious  frown.  She 
was  quick  to  see.  She  understood. 

"  Oh,  but  that's  nothing ! "  she  said,  and  somehow  her 
voice  put  new  heart  into  him.  "Your  folks  will  be  so 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  267 

glad  to  have  you  home  you'll  forget  all  about  it.  Come, 
aren't  you  going  to  send  them  a  telegram  ?  "  And  she  held 
out  the  yellow  blank. 

But  still  he  hesitated. 

"I  don't  know/'  he  said,  looking  down  at  his  foot 
again.  "  Mother's  gone,  and " 

Instantly  her  quick  sympathy  enveloped  his  sore  soul, 
and  he  felt  that  just  the  inflection  of  her  voice  was  like 
balm  when  she  said :  "  I'm  so  sorry !  "  Then  she  added : 

"  But  isn't  there  somebody  else  ?  I'm  sure  there  was. 
I'm  sure  you  told  me  about  a  girl  I  was  to  write  to  if  you 
didn't  come  through.  Aren't  you  going  to  let  her  know? 
Of  course  you  are." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  boy.  "  I  don't  think  I  am. 
Maybe  I'll  never  go  back  now.  You  see,  I'm  not  what  I 
was  when  I  went  away." 

"  Nonsense ! "  said  the  lassie  with  that  cheerful  assur- 
ance that  had  carried  her  through  shell  fire  and  made  her 
merit  the  pet  name  of  "  Sunshine  "  that  the  boys  had  given 
her  in  the  trenches.  "  Why,  that  wouldn't  be  fair  to  her. 
Of  course,  you're  going  to  let  her  know  right  away.  Leave 
it  to  me.  Here,  give  me  her  address  !  " 

Quick  as  a  flash  she  had  the  address  and  was  off  to  a 
telephone  booth.  This  was  no  message  that  could  wait  to 
go  back  to  headquarters.  It  must  go  at  once. 

He  saw  her  again  before  he  left  the  wharf.  She  gave 
him  a  card  with  two  addresses  written  on  it : 

"  This  first  is  where  you  can  drop  in  and  rest  when  you 
are  tired,"  she  explained.  "  It's  just  one  of  our  huts ;  the 
other  is  where  you  can  find  a  good  bed  when  you  are  in 
the  city." 

Then  she  was  off  with  a  smile  down  the  line,  giving 
out  more  telegraph  blanks  and  scattering  sunshine  wherever 


268  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

she  went.  He  glanced  back  as  lie  left  the  pier  and  saw  her 
still  floating  eagerly  here  and  there  like  a  little  sister 
looking  after  more  real  brothers. 

The  next  day,  when  he  was  free  and  on  a  few  days 
leave  from  camp,  he  started  out  with  his  crutch  to  see  the 
city,  but  the  thought  of  her  kept  him  from  some  of  the 
places  where  his  feet  might  have  strayed.  Yet  she  had  not 
said  a  word  of  warning.  Her  smile  and  the  look  in  her 
eyes  had  placed  perfect  confidence  in  him,  and  he  could 
remember  the  prayer  she  had  uttered  in  a  low  tone  back 
there  at  the  dressing  station  behind  the  trenches  in  the 
ear  of  a  companion  who  was  not  going  to  live  to  get  to  the 
Base  Hospital,  and  who  had  begged  her  to  pray  with  him 
before  he  went.  Somehow  it  lingered  with  him  all  day  and 
changed  his  ideas  of  what  he  wanted  to  see  in  New  York. 

But  it  was  a  long  hard  tramp  he  had  set  for  himself 
to  see  the  town  with  that  one  foot.  He  hadn't  much  money 
for  cars,  even  if  he  had  known  which  cars  to  take,  so  he 
hobbled  along  and  saw  what  he  could.  He  was  all  alone, 
for  the  fellows  he  started  with  went  so  fast  and  wanted  to 
do  so  many  things  that  he  could  not  do,  that  he  had  made 
an  excuse  to  shake  them  off.  They  were  kind.  They 
would  not  have  left  him  if  they  had  known ;  but  he  wasn't 
going  to  begin  his  new  life  having  everybody  put  out  on 
his  account,  so  he  was  alone.  And  it  was  toward  evening. 
He  was  very  tired.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he  couldn't  go 
another  block.  If  only  there  were  a  place  somewhere  where 
he  could  sit  down  a  little  while  and  rest;  even  a  doorstep 
would  do  if  there  were  only  one  near  at  hand.  Of  course, 
there  were  saloons,  and  there  would  always  be  soldiers  in 
them.  He  would  likely  be  treated,  and  there  would  be  good 
cheer,  and  a  chance  to  forget  for  a  little  while;  but  some- 
how the  thought  of  that  Salvation  lassie  and  the  cheery 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  269 

way  she  had  made  him  send  that  telegram  kept  him  back. 
When  a  girl  with  painted  cheeks  stopped  and  smiled  in  his 
face  he  passed  her  by,  and  half  wondered  why  he  did  it. 
He  must  go  somewhere  presently  and  get  a  bite  to  eat,  but 
it  couldn't  be  much  for  he  wanted  to  save  money  enough 
and  hunt  up  that  lodging  house  where  there  were  nice  beds. 
How  much  he  wanted  that  bed! 

It  was  quite  dark  now.  The  lights  were  lit  everywhere. 
He  was  coming  to  a  great  thoroughfare.  He  judged  by  his 
slight  knowledge  of  the  city  that  it  might  be  Broadway. 
There  would  likely  be  a  restaurant  somewhere  near.  He 
hurried  on  end  turned  into  the  crowded  street.  How  cold 
it  was !  The  wind  cut  him  like  a  knife.  He  had  been  a 
fool  to  come  off  alone  like  this !  Just  out  of  the  hospital, 
too.  Perhaps  he  would  get  sick  and  have  to  go  to  another 
hospital.  He  shivered  and  stopped  to  pull  his  collar  up 
closer  around  his  neck.  Then  suddenly  he  stood  still  and 
stared  with  a  dazed,  bewildered  expression,  straight  ahead 
of  him.  Was  he  getting  a  bit  leary  ?  He  passed  his  hand 
over  his  eyes  and  looked  again.  Yes,  there  it  was !  Eight 
in  the  midst  of  the  busy,  hurrying  throng  of  Union  Square ! 
He  made  sure  it  was  Union  Square,  for  he  looked  up  at 
the  street  sign  to  be  certain  it  wasn't  Willow  Vale — or 
Heaven — right  there  where  streets -met  and  crossed,  and  c#rs 
and  trolleys  and  trucks  whirled,  and  people  passed  in 
throngs  all  day,  just  across  the  narrow  road,  stood  the 
loveliest,  most  perfect  little  white  clapboard  cottage  that 
ever  was  built  on  this  earth,  with  porches  all  around  and 
a  big  tree  growing  up  through  the  roof  of  one  porch. 
It  stood  out  against  the  night  like  a  wonderful  mirage,  like 
a  heavenly  dove  descended  into  the  turmoil  of  the  pit,  like 
home  and  mother  in  the  midst  of  a  rushing  pitiless  world. 
He  could  have  cried  real  tears  of  wonder  and  joy  as  he 


270  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

stood  there,  gazing.  He  felt  as  though  he  were  one  of  those 
motion  pictures  in  which  a  lone  Klondiker  sits  by  his  camp- 
fire  cooking  a  can  of  salmon  or  baked  beans,  and  up  above 
him  on  the  screen  in  one  corner  appears  the  Christmas  tree 
where  his  wife  and  baby  at  home  are  celebrating  and  missing 
him.  It  seemed  just  as  unreal  as  that  to  see  that  little 
beautiful  home  cottage  set  down  in  the  midst  of  the  city. 

The  windows  were  all  lit  up  with  a  warm,  rosy  light  and 
there  were  curtains  at  the  windows,  rosy  pink  curtains  like 
the  ones  they  used  to  have  at  the  house  where  his  girl 
lived,  long  ago  before  the  War  spoiled  him.  He  stood  and 
continued  to  gaze  until  a  lot  of  cash-boys,  let  loose  from 
the  toil  of  the  day,  rushed  by  and  almost  knocked  his 
crutch  from  under  him.  Then  he  determined  to  get  nearer 
this  wonder.  Carefully  watching  his  opportunity  he  hob- 
bled across  the  street  and  went  slowly  around  the  building. 
Yes,  it  was  real.  Some  public  building,  of  course,  but 
how  wonderful  to  have  it  look  so  like  a  home !  Why  had 
they  done  it? 

Then  he  came  around  toward  the  side,  and  there  in 
plain  letters  was  a  sign :  "  SOLDIERS  AND  SAILORS 
IN  UNIFORM  WELCOME."  What?  Was  it  possible? 
Then  he  might  go  in?  What  kind  of  a  place  could  it  be? 

He  raised  his  eyes  a  little  and  there,  slung  out  above  the 
neatly  shingled  porch,  like  any  sign,  swung  an  immense  fat 
brown  doughnut  a  foot  and  a  half  in  diameter,  with  the 
sugar  apparently  still  sticking  to  it,  and  inside  the  rough 
hole  sat  a  big  white  coffee  cup.  His  heart  leaped  up  and 
something  suddenly  gave  him  an  idea.  He  fumbled  in  his 
pocket,  brought  out  a  card,  saw  that  this  was  the  Sal- 
vation Army  hut,  and  almost  shouted  with  joy.  He  lost  no 
time  in  hurrying  around  to  ttie  door  and  stepping  inside. 

There  revealed  before  him  was  a  great  cozy  room,  with 


''SMILING  BILLY" 
"ONE  GAME  LITTLE  GUY" 


THE  SALVATION  ABMY  271 

many  easy-chairs  and  tables,  a  piano  at  which  a  young 
soldier  sat  playing  ragtime,  and  at  the  farther  end  a  long 
white  counter  on  which  shone  two  bright  steaming  urns 
that  sent  forth  a  delicious  odor  of  coffee.  Through  an 
open  door  behind  the  counter  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  two 
Salvation  Army  lassies  busy  with  some  cups  and  plates, 
and  a  third  enveloped  in  a  white  apron  was  up  to  her 
elbows  in  flour,  mixing  something  in  a  yellow  bowl.  By 
one  of  the  little  tables  two  soldier  boys  were  eating  dough- 
nuts and  coffee,  and  at  another  table  a  sailor  sat  writ- 
ing a  letter.  It  was  all  so  cozy  and  homelike  that  it  took 
his  breath  away  and  he  stood  there  blinking  at  the  lights 
that  flooded  the  rooms  from  graceful  white  bowl-like  globes 
that  hung  suspended  from  the  ceiling  by  brass  chains.  He 
saw  that  the  rosy  light  outside  had  come  from  soft  pink  silk 
sash  curtains  that  covered  the  lower  part  of  the  windows, 
and  there  were  inner  draperies  of  some  heavier  flowered 
material  that  made  the  whole  thing  look  real  and  sub- 
stantial. The  willow  chairs  had  cushions  of  the  same 
flowered  stuff.  The  walls  were  a  soft  pearly  gray  below 
and  creamy  white  above,  set  off  by  bands  of  dark  wood, 
and  a  dark  floor  with  rush  mats  strewn  about.  He  looked 
around  slowly,  taking  in  every  detail  almost  painfully. 
It  was  such  a  contrast  to  the  noisy,  rushing  street,  a 
contrast  to  the  hospital,  and  the  trenches  and  all  the  life 
with  which  he  had  been  familiar  during  the  past  few 
dreadful  months.  It  made  him  think  of  home  and  mother. 
He  began  to  be  afraid  he  was  going  to  cry  like  a  great  big 
baby,  and  he  looked  around  nervously  for  a  place  to  get 
out  of  sight.  He  saw  a  fellow  going  upstairs  and  at  a  dis- 
tance he  followed  him.  Up  there  was  another  bright, 
quiet  room,  curtained  and  cushioned  like  the  other,  with 
more  easy  willow  chairs,  round  willow  tables,  and  desks 


272  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

over  by  the  wall  where  one  might  write.  The  soldier  who 
had  come  up  ahead  of  him  was  already  settled  writing  now 
at  a  desk  in  the  far  corner.  There  were  bookcases  between 
the  windows  with  new  beautifully  bound  books  in  them,  and 
there  were  magazines  scattered  around,  and  no  rules  that 
one  must  not  spit  on  the  floor,  or  put  their  feet  in  the 
chairs,  or  anything  of  the  sort.  Only,  of  course,  no  one 
would  ever  dream  of  doing  anything  like  that  in  such  a 
place.  How  beautiful  it  was,  and  how  quiet  and  peaceful ! 
He  sank  into  a  chair  and  looked  about  him.  What  rest ! 

And  now  there  were  real  tears  in  his  eyes  which  he  has- 
tened to  brush  roughly  away,  for  someone  was  coming 
toward  him  and  a  hand  was  on  his  shoulder.  A  man's  voice, 
kindly,  pleasant,  brotherly,  spoke: 

"  All  in,  are  you,  my  boy  ?  Well,  you  just  sit  'and  rest 
yourself  awhile.  What  do  you  think  of  our  hut?  Good 
place  to  rest  ?  Well,  that's  what  we  want  it  to  be  to  you, 
Home.  Just  drop  in  here  whenever  you're  in  town  and 
want  a  place  to  rest  or  write,  or  a  bite  of  something  home- 
like to  eat." 

He  looked  up  to  the  broad  shoulders  in  their  well-fitting 
dark  blue  uniform,  and  into  the  kindly  face  of  the  gray- 
haired  Colonel  of  the  Salvation  Army  who  happened  to 
step  in  for  a  minute  on  business  and  had  read  the  look  on 
the  lonesome  boy's  face  just  in  time  to  give  a  word  of 
cheer.  He  could  have  thrown  his  arms  around  the  man's 
neck  and  kissed  him  if  he  only  hadn't  been  too  shy.  But 
in  spite  of  the  shyness  he  found  himself  talking  with  this 
fine  strong  man  and  telling  him  some  of  his  disappoint- 
ments and  perplexities,  and  when  the  older  man  left  him 
he  was  strengthened  in  spirit  from  the  brief  conversation. 
Somehow  it  didn't  look  quite  so  black  a  prospect  to  have 
but  one  foot. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  273 

He  read  a  magazine  for  a  little  while  and  then,  drawn 
by  the  delicious  odors,  he  went  downstairs  and  had  some 
coffee  and  doughnuts.  He  saw  while  he  was  eating  that  the 
front  porch  opened  out  of  the  big  lower  room  and  was  all 
enclosed  in  glass  and  heated  with  radiators.  A  lot  of  fel- 
lows were  sitting  around  there  in  easy-chairs,  smoking, 
talking,  one  or  two  sleeping  in  their  chairs  or  reading 
papers.  It  had  a  dim,  quiet  light,  a  good  place  to  rest  and 
think.  He  was  more  and  more  filled  with  wonder.  Why 
did  they  do  it?  Not  for  money,  for  they  charged  hardly 
enough  to  pay  for  the  materials  in  the  food  they  sold,  and 
he  knew  by  experience  that  when  one  had  no  money  one 
could  buy  of  them  just  the  same  if  one  were  in  need. 

Later  in  the  evening  he  took  out  the  little  card  again 
and  looked  up  the  other  address.  He  wanted  one  of  those 
clean,  sweet  beds  that  he  had  been  hearing  about,  that  one 
could  get  for  only  a  quarter  a  night,  with  all  the  shower- 
bath  you  wanted  thrown  in.  So  he  went  out  again  and 
found  his  way  down  to  Forty-first  Street. 

There  was  something  homelike  about  the  very  atmos- 
phere as  he  entered  the  little  office  room  and  looked  about 
him.  Beyond,  through  an  open  door  he  could  see  a  great 
red  brick  fireplace  with  a  fire  blazing  cheerfully  and  a  few 
fellows  sitting  about  reading  and  playing  checkers.  Every- 
body looked  as  if  they  felt  at  home. 

When  he  signed  his  name  in  the  big  register  book  the 
young  woman  behind  the  desk  who  wore  an  overseas  uni- 
form glanced  at  his  signature  and  then  looked  up  as  if  she 
were  welcoming  an  old  friend : 

"  There's  a  telegram  here  for  you,"  she  said  pleasantly. 
"  It  came  last  night  and  we  tried  to  locate  you  at  the  camp 
but  did  not  succeed.  One  of  our  girls  went  over  to  camp 
18 


274  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

this  afternoon,  but  they  said  you  were  gone  on  a  furlough, 
so  we  hoped  you  would  turn  up." 

She  handed  over  the  telegram  and  he  took  it  in  won- 
der. Who  would  send  him  a  telgram?  And  here  of  all 
places !  Why,  how  would  anybody  know  he  would  be  here  ? 
He  was  so  excited  his  crutch  trembled  under  his  arm  as 
he  tore  open  the  envelope  and  read : 

"  Dear  Billy  (It  was  a  regular  letter !) : 

"  I  am  leaving  to-night  for  New  York.  Will  meet  you 
at  Salvation  Hostel  day  after  to-morrow  morning.  What  is 
a  foot  more  or  less  ?  Can't  I  be  hands  and  feet  for  you  the 
rest  of  your  life  ?  I'm  proud,  proud,  proud  of  you ! 

Signed  "Jean/7 

He  found  great  tears  coming  into  his  eyes  and  his 
throat  was  full  of  them,  too.  It  didn't  matter  if  that  Sal- 
vation Army  lassie  behind  the  counter  did  see  them  roll 
down  his  cheeks.  He  didn't  care.  She  would  understand 
anyway,  and  he  laughed  out  loud  in  his  joy  and  relief, 
the  first  joy,  the  first  relief  since  he  was  hurt ! 

Some  one  else  was  coming  in  the  door,  another  fellow 
maybe,  but  the  lassie  opened  a  door  in  the  desk  and  drew 
him  behind  the  counter  in  a  shaded  corner  where  no  one 
would  notice  and  brought  him  a  cup  of  tea,  which  she  said 
was  all  they  had  around  to  eat  just  then.  She  didn't  pay 
any  attention  to  him  till  he  got  his  equilibrium  again. 

She  was  the  kind  of  woman  one  feels  is  a  natural-born 
mother.  In  fact,  the  fellows  were  always  asking  her  wist- 
fully :  "  May  we  call  you  Mother  ?  "  Young  enough  to  un- 
derstand and  enter  into  their  joys  and  sorrows,  yet  old 
enough  to  be  wise  and  sweet  and  true.  She  mothered  every 
boy  that  came. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  275 

A  sailor  boy  once  asked  if  he  might  bring  his  girl  to 
see  her.  He  said  he  wanted  her  to  see  her  so  she  could 
tell  his  mother  about  her. 

"  But  can't  you  tell  her  about  your  girl  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  I  want  you  to  tell  her,"  he  said.  "  You 
see,  whatever  you  say  mother'll  know  is  true." 

So  presently  she  turned  to  this  lonely  boy  and  took 
him  upstairs  through  the  pleasant  upper  room  with  its 
piano  and  games,  its  sun  parlor  over  the  street,  lined  with 
trailing  ferns,  with  cheery  canaries  in  swinging  tasseled 
cages,  who  looked  fully  as  happy  and  at  home  as  did  the 
soldier  boys  who  were  sitting  about  comfortably  reading. 

She  found  him  a  room  with  only  one  other  bunk  in  it. 
Nice  white  beds  with  springs  like  air  and  mattresses  like 
down.  She  showed  him  where  the  shower-baths  were,  and 
with  a  kindly  good-night  left  him.  He  almost  wanted  to 
ask  her  to  kiss  him  good-night,  so  much  like  his  own 
mother  she  seemed. 

Before  he  got  into  that  white  bed  he  knelt  beside  it, 
all  clean  and  comfortable  and  happy  like  a  little  child  that 
had  wandered  a  long  way  from  home  and  got  back  again, 
and  he  told  God  he  was  sorry  and  ashamed  for  all  the  way 
he  had  doubted,  and  sinned,  and  he  wanted  to  live  a  new 
life  and  be  good.  Then  he  lay  down  to  sleep.  To- 
morrow morning  Jean  would  be  there.  And  she  didn't 
mind  about  the  foot !  She  didn't  mind  !  How  wonderful ! 

And  then  he  had  a  belated  memory  of  the  little  Sal- 
vation Army  lassie  on  the  wharf  who  had  brought  all  this 
about,  and  he  closed  his  eyes  and  murmured  out  loud  to  the 
clean,  white  walls :  "  God  bless  her !  Oh,  God  bless  her ! " 

This  is  only  one  of  the  many  stories  that  might  be  told 
about  the  boys  who  have  been  helped  by  the  various  activ- 
ities of  the  Salvation  Army,  both  at  home  and  abroad. 


276  THE  JVAR  ROMANCE  OF 

It  would  be  well  worth  one's  while  to  visit  their  Brook- 
lyn Hospital  and  their  New  York  Hospital  and  all  their 
other  wonderful  institutions.  In  several  of  them  are  many 
little  children,  some  mere  infants,  belonging  to  soldiers  and 
sailors  away  in  the  war.  In  some  instances  the  mother  is 
dead,  or  has  to  work.  If  she  so  desires  she  is  given  work 
in  the  institution,  which  is  like  a  real  home,  and  allowed  to 
be  with  her  child  and  care  for  it.  Where  both  mother  and 
father  are  dead  the  child  remains  for  six  years  or  until  a 
home  elsewhere  is  provided  for  it.  Here  the  little  ones  are 
well  cared  for,  not  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  an  institution, 
but  as  a  child  would  be  cared  for  in  a  home,  with  beauty  and 
love,  and  pleasure  mingling  with  the  food  and  shelter  and 
raiment  that  is  usually  supplied  in  an  institution.  These 
children  are  prettily,  though  simply,  dressed  and  not  in  uni- 
form ;  with  dainty  bits  of  color  in  hair  ribbon,  collar,  neck- 
tie or  frock;  the  babies  have  wee  pink  and  blue  wool  caps 
and  sacks  like  any  beloved  little  mites,  they  ride  around 
on  Kiddie  Cars,  play  with  doll  houses  and  have  a  fine  Kin- 
dergarten teacher  to  guide  their  young  minds,  and  the  best 
of  hospital  service  when  they  are  ailing.  But  that  is  another 
story,  and  there  are  yet  many  of  them.  If  everybody  could 
see  the  beautiful  life-size  painting  of  Christ  blessing  the 
little  children  which  is  painted  right  on  the  very  wall  and 
blended  into  the  tinting,  they  could  better  comprehend 
the  spirit  which  pervades  this  lovely  home. 

The  New  York  Hospital,  which  has  just  been  rebuilt 
and  refurnished  with  all  the  latest  appliances,  is  in  charge 
of  a  devoted  woman  physician,  who  has  given  her  life  to 
healing,  and  has  at  the  head  of  its  Board  one  of  the  most 
noted  surgeons  in  the  city,  who  gives  his  services  free,  and 
boasts  that  he  enjoys  it  beet  of  all  his  work.  Here  those  of 
small  means  or  of  no  means  at  all,  especially  those  belong- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  277 

ing  to  soldiers  and  sailors,  may  find  healing  of  the  wisest 
and  most  expert  kind,  in  cheery,  airy,  sanitary  and  beauti- 
ful rooms.  But  here,  too,  to  understand,  one  must  see. 
Just  a  peep  into  one  of  those  dainty  white  rooms  would 
rest  a  poor  sick  soul ;  just  a  glance  at  the  room  full  of  tiny 
white  basket  cribs  with  dainty  blue  satin-bound  blankets — 
real  wool  blankets — and  white  spreads,  Would  convince  one. 

And  what  one  sees  in  New  York  in  the  line  of  such 
activities  is  duplicated  in  most  of  the  other  large  cities  of 
the  United  States. 

Not  the  least  of  the  Salvation  Army  service  for  the 
returning  soldiers  is  the  work  that  is  done  on  the  docks  by 
the  lassies  meeting  returning  troop  ships.  They  send  tele- 
grams free,  not  C.  0.  D.,  for  them,  give  the  men  stamped 
postal  cards,  hunt  up  relatives,  answer  questions,  and  give 
them  chocolate  while  they  wait  for  the  inevitable  roll  call 
before  they  can  entrain.  Often  these  girls  will  sit  up  half 
the  night  after  having  met  boats  nearly  all  day,  to  get  the 
telegrams  all  off  that  night.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
on  one  single  day,  April  20th,  1919,  the  Salvation  Army 
Headquarters  in  New  York  sent  2900  such  free  telegrams 
for  returning  soldiers. 

The  other  day  the  father  of  a  soldier  came  to  Head- 
quarters with  an  anxious  face,  after  a  certain  unit  from 
overseas  had  returned.  It  was  the  unit  in  which  his  boy 
had  gone  to  France,  but  he  had  written  saying  he  was  in 
the  hospital  without  stating  what  was  the  matter  or  how 
serious  his  wound.  No  further  word  had  been  received 
and  the  father  and  mother  were  frenzied  with  grief.  They 
had  tried  in  every  way  to  get  information  but  could  find  out 
nothing.  The  Salvation  Army  went  to  work  on  the  tele- 


278  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

phone  and  in  a  short  time  were  able  to  locate  the  missing 
boy  in  a  Casual  Company  soon  to  return,  and  to  report  to 
his  anxious  father  that  he  was  recovering  rapidly. 

Another  soldier  arrived  in  New  York  and  sent  a  Salva- 
tion Army  telegram  to  his  father  and  mother  in  California 
who  had  previously  received  notification  that  he  was  dead. 
A  telegram  came  back  to  the  Salvation  Army  almost  at 
once  from  the  West  stating  this  fact  and  begging  some  one 
to  go  to  the  camp  where  the  boy's  Casual  Company  was 
located  and  find  out  if  he  were  really  living.  One  of  the 
girls  from  the  office  went  over  to  the  Debarkation  Hospital 
immediately  and  saw  the  boy,  and  was  able  to  telegraph 
to  his  parents  that  he  was  perfectly  recovered  and  only 
awaiting  transportation  to  California.  He  was  overjoyed 
to  see  someone  who  had  heard  from  his  parents. 

A  portion  of  one  troop  ship  had  been  reserved  for  sol- 
diers having  influenza.  These  men  were  kept  on  board 
long  after  all  the  others  had  left  the  ship.  A  Salvation 
Army  worker  seeing  them  with  the  white  masks  over  their 
faces  went  on  board  and  served  them  with  chocolate,  dis- 
tributing post  cards  and  telegraph  blanks.  When  she  was 
leaving  the  ship  a  Captain  said  to  her  rather  brusquely: 
"  Don't  you  realize  that  you  have  done  a  foolish  thing  ? 
Those  men  have  influenza  and  your  serving  them  might 
mean  your  death !  " 

Looking  up  into  the  man's  eyes  the  Salvationist  said: 
"  I  am  ready  to  die  if  God  sees  fit  to  call  me." 

The  officer  laughed  and  told  her  that  was  the  first  time 
in  his  life  he  had  known  anyone  to  say  they  were  ready  to 
die  and  would  willingly  expose  themselves  to  such  a  con- 
tagious disease. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  279 

"  Aren't  you  ready  to  die  ?  "  asked  the  girl.  "  Certainly 
not,"  replied  the  Captain.  "  Sometimes  I  think  I  am  hardly 
fit  to  live,  much  less  die." 

"  Don't  you  realize  that  there  is  a  Power  which  can  en- 
able you  to  live  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  you  ready  to  die  ?  " 

"  Oh,  well,  I  don't  bother  about  going  to  church,  in 
fact,  I  don't  bother  about  religion  at  all,  although  I  must 
say  once  or  twice  when  I  was  up  the  line  over  there  I 
wished  I  did  know  something  about  religion,  that  is,  the 
kind  that  makes  a  fellow  feel  good  about  dying ;  but  I  don't 
want  to  go  to  church  and  go  through  all  that  business." 

"  It  is  possible  to  accept  Christ  here  and  now  on  this 
very  spot — on  this  ship — if  you'll  only  believe,"  said  the 
girl  wistfully. 

The  Captain  could  not  help  being  interested  and 
thoughtful.  When  she  left  after  a  little  more  talk  he  put 
out  his  hand  and  said : 

"  Thank  you.  You've  done  me  more  good  than  any 
sermon  could  have  done  me,  and  believe  me,  I  am  going  to 
pray  and  trust  God  to  help  me  live  a  different  life." 

Sad  things  are  seen  on  the  docks  at  times  when  the  ships 
come  into  port,  and  the  boys  are  coming  home. 

A  soldier  in  a  basket,  with  both  arms  and  both  legs  gone 
and  only  one  eye,  was  being  carried  tenderly  along. 

"Why  do  you  let  him  live?"  asked  one  pityingly  of 
the  Commanding  Officer. 

The  gruff,  kindly  voice  replied : 

"  You  don't  know  what  life  is.  We  don't  live  through 
our  arms  and  legs.  We  live  through  our  hearts." 

Some  of  our  boys  have  learned  out  there  amid  shell  fire 
to  live  through  their  hearts. 

One  of  these  lying  on  a  litter  greeted  the  lassie  from 


280  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Indiana,  just  come  back  to  New  York  from  Prance  to 
meet  the  boys  when  they  landed : 

"Hello,  Sister!    You  here f" 

Her  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  she  recognized  one  of  her 
old  friends  of  the  trenches,  and  noticed  how  helpless  he 
was  now,  he  who  had  been  the  strongest  of  the  strong.  She 
murmured  sympathetically  some  words  of  attempted  cheer : 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right,  Sister/'  he  said,  "  I  know  they  got 
me  pretty  hard,  but  I  don't  mind  that.  I'm  not  going  to 
feel  bad  about  it.  I  got  something  better  than  arms  and 
legs  over  in  one  of  your  little  huts  in  France.  I  found 
Jesus,  and  I'm  going  to  live  for  Him.  I  wanted  you  to 
know." 

A  few  days  later  she  was  talking  with  another  boy  just 
landed.  She  asked  him  how  it  seemed  to  be  home  again,  and 
to  her  surprise  he  turned  a  sorrowful  face  to  her : 

"  It's  the  greatest  disappointment  of  my  life,"  he  said 
sadly,  "  the  folks  here  don't  understand.  They  all  want  to 
make  me  forget,  and  I  don't  want  to  forget  what  I  learned 
out  there.  I  saw  life  in  a  different  way  and  I  knew  I  had 
wasted  all  the  years.  I  want  to  live  differently  now,  and 
mother  and  her  friends  are  just  getting  up  dances  and 
theatre  parties  for  me  to  help  me  to  forget.  They  don't 
understand." 

Forty  miles  west  of  Chicago  is  Camp  Grant  and  there 
the  Salvation  Army  has  put  up  a  hut  just  outside  of  the 
camp. 

During  the  days  when  the  boys  were  being  sent  to 
France,  and  were  under  quarantine,  unable  to  go  out,  no 
one  was  allowed  to  come  in  and  there  was  great  distress. 
Mothers  and  sisters  and  friends  eould  get  no  opportunity 
to  see  them  for  farewells. 

The  Salvation  officer  in  charge  suggested  to  the  mili- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  281 

tary  authorities  that  the  Salvation  Army  hut  be  the  clear- 
ing place  for  relatives,  and  that  he  would  come  in  his 
machine  and  bring  the  boys  to  the  hut,  taking  them  back 
again  afterwards,  that  they  might  have  a  few  hours  with 
their  friends  before  leaving  for  France. 

This  offer  was  readily  accepted  by  the  authorities,  and 
so  it  was  made  possible  for  hundreds  and  hundreds  of 
mothers  to  get  a  last  talk  with  their  boys  before  they  left, 
some  of  them  forever. 

One  day  a  young  man  came  to  the  Salvation  Army  offi- 
cer and  told  him  that  his  regiment  was  to  depart  that  night 
and  that  he  was  in  great  distress  about  his  wife  who  on 
her  way  to  see  him  had  been  caught  in  a  railroad  wreck, 
and  later  taken  on  her  way  by  a  rescue  train.  "  I  think 
she  is  in  Eockf ord  somewhere,"  he  said  anxiously,  "  but  I 
don't  know  where,  and  I  have  to  leave  in  three  hours !  " 

The  Ensign  was  ready  with  his  help  at  once.  He  took 
the  young  soldier  in  his  car  to  Eockford,  seven  miles  away, 
and  they  went  from  hotel  to  hotel  seeking  in  vain  for  any 
trace  of  the  wife.  Then  suddenly  as  they  were  driving 
along  the  street  wondering  what  to  try  next  the  young  sol- 
dier exclaimed :  "  There  she  is ! "  And  there  she  was,  walk- 
ing along  the  street ! 

The  two  had  a  blessed  two  hours  together  before  the 
soldier  had  to  leave.  But  it  was  all  in  the  day's  work  for 
the  Salvation  Army  man,  for  his  main  object  in  life  is  to 
help  someone,  and  he  never  minds  how  much  he  puts  him- 
self out.  It  is  always  reward  enough  for  him  to  have  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  comfort  to  another. 

One  of  the  Salvation  Army  Ensigns  who  was  assigned 
to  work  at  Camp  Grant  hut  had  been  an  all-round  athlete 
before  he  joined  the  Salvation  Army,  a  boxer  and  wrestler 
of  no  mean  order. 


282  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  fame  of  the  Ensign  went  abroad  and  the  doctor  at 
the  Base  Hospital  asked  him  to  take  charge  of  athletics  in 
the  hospital.  He  was  also  appointed  regularly  as  chaplain 
in  the  hospital.  Every  day  he  drilled  the  five  hundred 
women  nurses  in  gymnastics,  and  put  the  men  attendants 
and  as  many  of  the  patients  as  were  able  through  a  set  of 
exercises.  Thus  mingling  his  religion  with  his  athletics 
he  became  a  great  power  among  the  men  in  the  hospital. 

The  Salvation  Army  asked  the  hospital  if  there  was 
anything  they  could  do  for  the  wounded  men.  The  reply 
was,  that  there  were  eighty  wards  and  not  a  graphophone  in 
one  of  them,  nothing  to  amuse  the  boys.  The  need  was 
promptly  filled  by  the  Salvation  Army  which  supplied  a 
number  of  graphophones  and  a  piano.  Then,  discovering 
that  the  nurses  who  were  getting  only  a  very  small  cash 
allowance  out  of  which  they  had  to  furnish  their  uniforms, 
were  short  of  shoes,  the  indefatigable  good  Samaritan  pro- 
duced a  thousand  dollars  to  buy  new  shoes  for  them.  The 
Salvation  Army  has  always  been  doing  things  like  that. 

The  Salvation  Army  built  many  huts,  locating  them 
wherever  there  was  need  among  the  camps.  They  have  a 
hut  at  Camp  Grant,  one  at  Camp  Funston,  one  at  Camp 
Travis,  San  Antonio,  one  at  Camp  Logan,  Houston,  Texas, 
one  at  Camp  Bowie,  Fort  Worth,  one  at  Camp  Cody, 
Deming,  New  Mexico,  one  at  Camp  Lewis,  Tacoma,  a 
Soldiers'  Club  at  Des  Moines,  a  Soldiers'  Club  with  Sitting 
Room,  Dining  Room,  and  rooms  for  a  hundred  soldiers 
just  opened  at  Chicago.  There  is  a  charge  of  twenty-five 
cents  a  night  and  twenty-five  cents  a  meal  for  such  as  have 
money.  No  charge  for  those  who  have  no  money.  There 
is  such  a  Soldiers'  Club  at  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City,  St. 
Paul  and  Minneapolis.  All  of  these  places  at  the  camps 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  283 

have  accommodations  for  women  relatives  to  visit  the 
soldiers,  and  all  of  the  rooms  are  always  full  to  the  limit. 

In  Des  Moines  the  Army  has  an  interesting  institution 
which  grew  out  of  a  great  need. 

The  Federal  authorities  have  placed  a  Woman's  Pro- 
tective Agency  in  all  Camp  towns.  At  Des  Moines  the 
woman  representative  of  the  Federal  Government  sent 
word  to  the  Salvation  Army  that  she  wished  they  would 
help  her.  She  said  she  had  found  so  many  young  girls  be- 
tween the  ages  of  fourteen  and  sixteen  who  were  being  led 
into  an  immoral  life  through  the  soldiers,  and  she  wished 
the  Salvation  Army  would  open  a  home  to  take  care  of 
such  girls. 

With  their  usual  swiftness  to  come  to  the  rescue  the 
Salvation  Army  opened  such  a  home.  The  Brigadier  up 
in  Chicago  gave  up  his  valued  private  secretary,  a  lovely 
young  girl  only  twenty-four  years  old,  to  be  at  the  head  of 
this  home.  It  may  seem  a  pretty  big  undertaking  for  so 
young  a  girl,  but  these  Salvation  Army  girls  are  brought  up 
to  be  wonderfully  wise  and  sweet  beyond  others,  and  if  you 
could  look  into  her  beautiful  eyes  you  would  have  an  under- 
standing of  the  consecration  and  strength  of  character  that 
has  made  it  possible  for  her  to  do  this  work  with  marvellous 
success,  and  reach  the  hearts  and  turn  the  lives  of  these 
many  young  girls  who  have  come  under  her  influence  in 
this  way.  In  her  work  she  deals  with  the  individual,  always 
giving  immediate  relief  for  any  need,  always  pointing  the 
way  straight  and  direct  to  a  better  life.  The  young  girls 
are  kept  in  the  home  for  a  week  or  more  until  some  near 
relative  can  be  sent  for,  or  longer,  until  a  home  and  work 
can  be  found  for  them.  Every  case  is  dealt  with  on  its  own 
merits ;  and  many  young  girls  have  had  their  feet  set  upon 
the  right  road,  and  a  new  purpose  in  life  given  to  them, 


284  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

with  new  ideals,  from  the  young  Christian  girl  whom  they 
easily  love  and  trust. 

So  great  has  been  the  success  of  the  Salvation  Army 
hut  and  women's  hostel  at  Camp  Lewis  that  the  United 
States  Government  has  asked  the  Salvation  Army  to  put  up 
a  hundred  thousand  dollar  hotel  at  that  camp  which  is 
located  twenty  miles  out  of  Tacoma.  The  Salvation  Army 
hut  at  this  place  was  recently  inspected  by  Secretary  of 
War  Baker  and  Chief  of  Staff  who  highly  complimented  the 
Salvationists  on  the  good  work  being  done. 

A  Christmas  box  was  sent  by  the  Salvation  Army  to 
each  soldier  in  every  camp  and  hospital  throughout  the 
.West.  Each  box  contained  an  orange,  an  apple,  two  pounds 
of  nuts,  one  pound  of  raisins,  one  pound  of  salted  peanuts, 
one  package  of  figs,  two  handkerchiefs  in  sealed  packets, 
one  book  of  stamps,  a  package  of  writing  paper,  a  New 
Testament,  and  a  Christmas  letter  from  the  Commissioner 
at  Headquarters  in  Chicago. 

No  Officer  in  the  Salvation  Army  has  been  more  suc- 
cessful in  ingenious  efforts  to  further  all  activities  con- 
nected with  the  work  than  Commissioner  Estill  in  command 
of  the  Western  forces.  He  is  an  indefatigable  and  tireless 
worker,  is  greatly  beloved,  and  his  efforts  have  met  with 
exceptional  success. 

It  was  a  new  manager  who  had  taken  hold  of  the  affairs 
of  the  Salvation  Army  Hostel  in  a  certain  city  that  morning 
and  was  establishing  family  prayers.  A  visitor,  waiting  to 
see  someone,  sat  in  an  alcove  listening. 

There  in  the  long  beautiful  living-room  of  the  Hostel 
sat  a  little  audience,  two  black  women — the  cooks — several 
women  in  neat  aprons  and  caps  as  if  they  had  come  in 
from  their  work,  a  soldier  who  had  been  reading  the  morn- 


THOMAS  ESTILL 
COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  WESTERN  FORCES 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  285 

ing  paper  and  who  quietly  laid  it  aside  when  the  Bible 
reading  began,  a  sailor  who  tiptoed  up  the  two  low  steps 
from  the  cafe  beyond  the  living-room  where  he  had  been 
having  his  morning  coffee  and  doughnuts — the  young  clerk 
from  behind  the  office  desk.  They  all  sat  quiet,  respectful, 
as  if  accorded  a  sudden,  unexpected  privilege. 

The  reading  was  a  few  well-chosen  verses  about  Moses 
in  the  mount  of  vision  and  somehow  seemed  to  have  a 
strange  quieting  influence  and  carried  a  weight  of  reality 
read  thus  in  the  beginning  of  a  busy  day's  work. 

The  reader  closed  the  book  and  quite  familiarly,  not 
at  all  pompously,  he  said  with  a  pleasant  smile  that  this  was 
a  lesson  for  all  of  them.  Each  one  should  have  his  vision 
for  the  day.  The  cook  should  have  a  vision  as  she  made 
the  doughnuts — and  he  called  her  by  her  name — to  make 
them  just  as  well  as  they  could  be  made;  and  the  women 
who  made  the  beds  should  have  a  vision  of  how  they  could 
make  the  beds  smooth  and  soft  and  fine  to  rest  weary 
comers ;  and  those  who  cleaned  must  have  a  vision  to  make 
the  house  quite  pure  and  sweet  so  that  it  would  be  a  home 
for  the  boys  who  came  there ;  the  clerk  at  the  desk  should 
have  a  vision  to  make  the  boys  comfortable  and  give  them 
a  welcome ;  and  everyone  should  have  a  vision  of  how  to  do 
his  work  in  the  best  way,  so  that  all  who  came  there  for  a 
day  or  a  night  or  longer  should  have  a  vision  when  they 
left  that  God  was  ruling  in  that  place  and  that  everything 
was  being  done  for  His  praise. 

Just  a  few  simple  words  bringing  the  little  family 
of  workers  into  touch  with  the  Divine  and  giving  them 
a  glimpse  of  the  great  plan  of  laboring  with  God  where  no 
work  is  menial,  and  nothing  too  small  to  be  worth  doing 
for  the  love  of  Christ.  Then  the  little  company  dropped 
upon  their  knees,  and  the  earnest  voice  took  up  a  prayer 


286  THE  WAR  ROMANCE 

which  was  more  an  intimate  word  with  a  trusted  beloved 
Companion;  and  they  all  arose  to  go  about  that  work  of 
theirs  with  new  zest  and — a  vision ! 

In  her  alcove  out  of  sight  the  visitor  found  refresh- 
ment for  her  own  soul,  and  a  vision  also. 

This  is  the  secret  of  this  wonderful  work  that  these 
people  do  in  France,  in  the  cities,  everywhere;  they  have 
a  vision !  They  have  been  upon  the  Mountain  with  God  and 
they  have  not  forgotten  the  injunction: 

"  See  that  thou  do  all  things  according  to  the  pattern 
given  thee  in  the  Mount." 

But  the  stories  multiply  and  my  space  is  drawing  to  a 
close.  I  am  minded  to  say  reverently  in  words  of  old : 

"  And  there  are  also  many  other  things  which  these 
disciples  of  Jesus  did,  the  which  if  they  should  be  written 
every  one,  I  suppose  that  even  the  world  itself  could  not 
contain  the  books  that  should  be  written ;  "  but  are  they  not 
graven  in  the  hearts  of  men  who  found  the  Christ  on  the 
battlefield  or  the  hospital  cot,  or  in  the  dim  candle-lit  hut, 
through  these  dear  followers  of  His? 


XII. 

LETTERS  OF  APPRECIATION. 

MY  DEAR  Miss  BOOTH  : 

You  may  be  sure  that  your  telegram  of  November  fif- 
teenth warmed  my  heart  and  brought  me  very  real  cheer 
and  encouragement.  It  is  a  message  of  just  the  sort  that 
one  needs  in  these  trying  times,  and  I  hope  that  you  will 
express  to  your  associates  my  profound  appreciation  and  my 
entire  confidence  in  their  loyalty,  their  patriotism,  and 
their  enthusiasm  for  the  great  work  they  are  doing. 

Cordially  and  sincerely  yours, 
Nov.  30, 1917.  WOODROW  WILSON. 

MY  DEAR  Miss  BOOTH  : 

I  am  very  much  interested  to  hear  of  the  campaign  the 
Salvation  Army  has  undertaken  for  money  to  sustain  its 
war  activities,  and  want  to  take  the  opportunity  to  express 
my  admiration  for  the  work  that  it  has  done  and  my  sin- 
cere hope  that  it  may  be  fully  sustained. 

(Signed)  WOODROW  WILSON. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  of  America. 
Commander  Evangeline  Booth,  Paris,  7  April,  1919. 

122  W.  14th  Street,  New  York,  U.  S.  A. 
I  am  very  much  interested  to  know  that  the  Salvation 
Army  is  about  to  enter  into  a  campaignfora  sustainingfund. 
I  feel  that  the  Salvation  Army  needs  no  commendation 
from  me.    The  love  and  gratitude  it  has  elicited  from  the 
troops  is  a  sufficient  evidence  of  the  work  it  has  done  and  I 
feel  that  I  should  not  so  much  commend  as  congratulate  it. 
Cordially  and  sincerely  yours, 

WOODROW  WILSON. 

287 


288  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

British  Delegation,  Paris,  8th  April,  1919. 
DEAR  MADAM: 

I  have  very  great  pleasure  in  sending  you  this  letter  to 
say  how  highly  I  think  of  the  great  work  which  has  been 
done  by  the  Salvation  Army  amongst  the  Allied  Armies  in 
France  and  the  other  theatres  of  war.  From  all  sides  I 
hear  the  most  glowing  accounts  of  the  way  in  which  your 
people  have  added  to  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  our  soldiers. 
To  me  it  has  always  been  a  great  joy  to  think  how  much  the 
sufferings  and  hardships  endured  by  our  troops  in  all  parts 
of  the  world  have  been  lessened  by  the  self-sacrifice  and 
devotion  shown  to  them  by  that  excellent  organization,  the 

Salvation  Army. 

Yours  faithfully, 

W.  LLOYD  GEOEGB. 

GENERAL  J.  J.  PERSHING,  FRANCE. 

The  Salvation  Army  of  America  will  never  cease  to 
hail  you  with  devoted  affection  and  admiration  for  your 
valiant  leadership  of  your  valiant  army.  You  have  rushed 
the  advent  of  the  world's  greatest  peace,  and  all  men  honor 
you.  To  God  be  all  the  glory ! 

COMMANDER  EVANGELINE  BOOTH. 

Commander  Evangeline  Booth,  N~ew  York  City. 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  cordial  cable.  The  American 
Expeditionary  Forces  thank  you  for  all  your  noble  work 
that  the  Salvation  Army  has  done  for  them  from  the 
beginning."  GENERAL  PERSHING. 

With  deep  feeling  of  gratitude  for  the  enormous  con- 
tribution which  the  Salvation  Army  has  made  to  the  moral 
and  physical  welfare  of  th?s  expedition  all  ranks  join  me  in 
sending  heartiest  Christmas  greetings  and  cordial  best 
wishes  for  the  New  Year.  (Signed)  PERSHING. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  289 

Salvation,  New  York.  Paris,  April  22, 1919. 

The  following  cable  received,  Colonel  William  S.  Barker, 
Director  of  the  Salvation  Army,  Paris:  My  dear  Colonel 
Barker — I  wish  to  express  to  you  my  sincere  appreciation, 
and  that  of  all  members  of  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces,  for  the  splendid  services  rendered  by  the  Salvation 
Army  to  the  American  Army  in  France.  You  first  sub- 
mitted your  plans  to  me  in  the  summer  of  1917,  and  before 
the  end  of  that  year  you  had  a  number  of  Huts  in  operation 
in  the  Training  Area  of  the  First  Division,  and  a  group  of 
devoted  men  and  women  who  laid  the  foundation  for  the 
affectionate  regard  in  which  the  workers  of  your  organiza- 
tion have  always  been  held  by  the  American  soldiers.  The 
outstanding  features  of  the  work  of  the  Salvation  Army 
have  been  its  disposition  to  push  its  activities  as  far  as 
possible  to  the  Front,  and  the  trained  and  experienced 
character  of  its  workers  whose  one  thought  was  the  well- 
being  of  its  soldiers  they  came  to  serve.  While  the  main- 
tenance of  these  standards  has  necessarily  kept  your  work 
within  narrow  bounds  as  compared  to  some  of  the  other 
welfare  agencies,  it  has  resulted  in  a  degree  of  excellence 
and  self-sacrifice  in  the  work  performed  which  has  been 
second  to  none.  It  has  endeared  your  organization  and  its 
individual  men  and  women  workers  to  all  those  Divisions 
and  other  units  to  which  they  have  been  attached  and  has 
published  their  good  name  to  every  part  of  the  American 
Expeditionary  forces.  Please  accept  this  letter  as  a  personal 
message  to  each  one  of  your  workers.  Very  sincerely, 

JOHN  J.  PERSHINO. 
MAESHAL  FOCH,  PAEIS,  FRANCE: 

Your  brilliant  armies,  under  blessing  of  God,  have 
triumphed.  The  Salvation  Army  of  America  exults  with 
war-worn  but  invincible  France.  We  must  consolidate  for 
God  of  Peace  all  the  good  your  valor  has  secured. 

COMMANDEB  EVANGELINE  BOOTH. 
It 


290 


THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 


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THE  SALVATION  ABMY  291 

LETTEE  FEOM  SIB  DOUGLAS  HAIG. 

Just  before  leaving  London  on  Thursday  for  his  pro- 
vincial campaigns,  General  Booth  received  the  following 
letter  from  Field  Marshal  Sir  Douglas  Haig.  The  generous 
tribute  will  be  read  with  intense  satisfaction  by  Salva- 
tionists the  world  over: 

General  Headquarters,  British  Armies  in  France. 

March  27,  1918. 

I  am  glad  to  have  the  opportunity  of  congratulating  the 
Salvation  Army  on  the  service  which  its  representatives 
have  rendered  during  the  past  year  to  the  British  Armies  in 
France. 

The  Salvation  Army  workers  have  shown  themselves  to 
be  of  the  right  sort  and  I  value  their  presence  here  as  being 
one  of  the  best  influences  on  the  moral  and  spiritual  wel- 
fare of  the  troops  at  the  bases.  The  inestimable  value  of 
these  influences  is  realized  when  the  morale  of  the  troops 
is  afterwards  put  to  the  test  at  the  front. 

The  huts  which  the  Salvation  Army  has  staffed  have 
besides  been  an  addition  to  the  comfort  of  the  soldiers 
which  has  been  greatly  appreciated. 

I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  convey  the  thanks  of  all  ranks 
of  the  British  Expeditionary  Forces  in  France  to  the  Sal- 
vation Army  for  its  continued  good  work. 

D.  HAIG,  Field  Marshal, 
Commanding  British  Armies  in  France. 

THE    FOLLOWING    MESSAGE    FEOM    MARSHAL    JOFFEE: 

Miss  EVANGELINE  BOOTH,  Apr.  9,  1919. 

New  York  City. 

"  President  Wilson  has  said  that  the  work  of  the  Salva- 
tion Army  on  the  Franco- American  front  needs  no  praise 


292  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

in  view  of  the  magnificent  results  obtained  and  remains  only 
to  be  admired  and  congratulated.  I  cannot  do  better  than 
to  use  the  same  words  which  I  am  sure  express  the  senti- 
ments of  all  French  soldiers.  "  J.  JOFFRE." 

FROM  FIELD  MARSHAL  VISCOUNT  FRENCH. 

"  Of  all  the  organizations  that  have  come  into  existence 
during  the  past  fifty  years  none  has  done  finer  work  or 
achieved  better  results  in  all  parts  of  the  Empire  than  the 
Salvation  Army.  In  particular,  its  activities  have  been  of 
the  very  greatest  benefit  to  the  soldiers  in  this  war." 

June  16,  1918. 

Colonel  Theodore  Roosevelt,  writing  from  Oyster  Bay, 
Long  Island,  under  date  of  April  11,  1918,  has  the  follow- 
ing to  say  to  the  War  Work  Executive  of  the  Salvation 
Army: 

"  I  was  greatly  interested  in  your  letter  quoting  the  let- 
ter from  my  son  now  with  Pershing  in  France.  His  testi- 
mony as  to  the  admirable  work  done  by  the  Salvation  Army 
agrees  with  all  my  own  observations  as  to  what  the  Salva- 
tion Army  has  done  in  war  and  in  peace.  You  have  had 
to  enlarge  enormously  your  program  and  readjust  your 
work  in  order  to  meet  the  need  of  the  vast  number  of  sol- 
diers and  sailors  serving  our  country  overseas;  and  you 
must  have  funds  to  help  you.  I  am  informed  that  over 
40,000  Salvationists  are  in  the  ranks  of  the  Allied  armies. 
I  can  myself  bear  testimony  to  the  fact  that  you  have  a 
practical  social  service,  combined  with  practical  religion, 
that  appeals  to  multitudes  of  men  who  are  not  reached  by 
the  regular  churches;  and  I  know  that  you  were  able  to 
put  your  organization  to  work  in  France  before  the  end 
of  the  first  month  of  the  World  War.  I  am  glad  to  learn 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  293 

that  yon  do  not  duplicate  or  parallel  the  work  done  by  any 
other  organization,  and  that  you  are  in  constant  touch  with 
the  War  Work  Councils  of  such  organizations  as  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  and  the  Eed  Cross.  I  happen  to  know  that  you  are 
now  maintaining  and  operating  168  huts  behind  the  lines 
in  France,  together  with  70  hostels,  and  that  you  hare 
furnished  46  ambulances,  manned  and  officered  by  Sal- 
vationists. I  am  particularly  interested  to  learn  that  6000 
women  are  knitting  under  the  direction  of  the  Salvation 
Army,  and  with  materials  furnished  by  this  organization 
here  in  America,  in  order  to  turn  out  garments  and  useful 
articles  for  the  soldiers  at  the  Front. 

"Faithfully  yours, 
"(Signed)  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT/'/ 

April  21st,  1919. 
Commander  Evangeline  Booth, 
120  West  14th  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

DEAB  COMMANDER  BOOTH: 

I  have  known  the  Salvation  Army  from  its  beginning. 

The  mother  of  the  Salvation  Army  was  Mrs.  Catherine 
Booth,  and  her  common  sense  and  Christian  spirit  laid  the 
foundations;  while  her  husband,  General  William  Booth, 
in  his  impressive  frame,  fertility  of  ideas,  and  invincible 
spirit  of  evangelism  always  seemed  to  me  as  if  he  were 
closely  related  to  St.  Peter,  the  fisherman — the  man  of  ideas 
and  many  questions,  of  the  Lord's  family. 

General  William  Booth  was  of  a  discipleship  that  kept 
him  always  on  the  "  long,  long  trail "  with  a  self -sacrificing 
spirit,  but  with  a  cheerfulness  that  heard  the  nightingales  in 
the  early  mornings  that  awakened  him  to  duty  and  service. 


294  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

He  was  never  tired.  The  Salvation  Army  under  the  present 
leadership  of  your  brother,  Bramwell  Booth,  has  "  carried 
on  "  along  the  same  roads,  and  with  the  same  methods,  as 
the  great  General  who  has  passed  into  the  Beyond. 

The  Salvation  Army  has  been  itself  true  to  the  spirit 
of  its  mighty  originator  during  the  present  war.  No  work 
was  too  hard ;  no  day  was  long  enough ;  no  duty  too  simple, 
no  self-denial  was  too  great. 

From  my  personal  knowledge,  the  Salvation  Army 
workers  were  consecrated  to  their  work.  Just  as  the  brave 
boys  who  carried  the  Flag,  they  were  soldiers  fighting  a 
battle,  to  find  comforts,  and  a  song  to  put  music  into  the 
hearts  of  the  noble  fellows  that  now  lie  sleeping  on  the 
ridges  of  the  Marne,  with  their  graves  unmarked  save 
with  a  cross. 

The  sleepless  vigilance  of  the  Salvation  Army  extended 
from  their  kitchens  where  they  cooked  for  the  boys,  to  the 
hospitals  where  they  prayed  with  them  to  the  last  hour 
when  life  ended  in  a  silence,  the  stillest  of  all  slumbers. 

The  Armies  of  every  country  in  which  they  labored 
have  a  record  of  their  faithfulness  and  devotion  which 
will  be  sealed  in  the  hearts  of  the  many  thousands  they 
helped  in  the  days  of  the  struggle  for  peace. 

The  question  is,  what  can  we  do  now  to  perpetuate  the 
Salvation  Army  and  its  work,  and  my  reply  is,  that  there 
is  nothing  they  ask  or  want  that  should  be  refused  to  them. 
They  are  worthy ;  they  are  competent ;  they  can  be  trusted 
with  responsibility ;  and  their  splendid  leader  seems  to  have 
almost  a  miraculous  power  for  management  in  the  work 
which  her  father  committed  to  her  so  far  as  America  is 

concerned. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

(Signed)  JOHN  WANAMAKEB. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  295 

Cardinal's  Residence,  408  Charles  Street,  Baltimore. 

April  16,  1919. 

Hon.  Charles  S.  Whitman,  New  York  City. 
Honorable  and  Dear  Sir : 

I  have  been  asked  by  the  local  Commander  of  the  Salva- 
tion Army  to  address  a  word  to  you  as  the  National  Chair- 
man of  the  Campaign  about  to  be  launched  in  behalf  of  the 
above  named  organization.  Thi^  I  am  happy  to  do,  and 
for  the  reason  that,  along  with  my  fellow  American  citizens, 
I  rejoice  in  the  splendid  service  which  the  Salvation  Army 
rendered  our  Soldier  and  Sailor  Boys  during  the  war.  Every 
returning  trooper  ia  a  willing  witness  to  the  efficient  and 
generous  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  both  at  the  Front,  and 
in  the  camps,  at  home.  I  am  also  the  more  happy  to  com- 
mend this  organization  because  it  is  free  from  sectarian  bias. 
The  man  in  need  of  help  is1  the  object  of  their  effort,  with 
never  a  question  of  his  creed  or  color. 

I  trust,  therefore,  your  efforts  to  raise  $13,000,000  for 
the  Salvation  Army  will  meet  with  a  hearty  response  from 
our  generous  American  public. 

Faithfully  yours, 

JAMES,  CARDINAL,  GIBBONS. 

Commissioner  Plenipotentiary  of  the  United  States 
of  America. 

Paris,  April  7th,  1919. 

MY  DEAE  COMMANDEB  BOOTH  : 

Those  of  us  who  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  see 
something  of  the  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  with  the 
American  troops  have  been  made  proud  by  the  devotion 
and  self-sacrifice  of  the  workers  connected  with  your 
organization. 


296  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

I  congratulate  you  and,  through  you,  your  associates, 
and  I  wish  you  the  best  of  fortune  in  the  continuance  of 
your  splendid  work. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

L.  M.  HOUSE. 
Commander  Evangeline  Booth,  Salvation  Army. 

Evangeline  Booth, 

'Salvation  Army  Headquarters,  New  York. 

I  have  seen  the  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  in  France 

and  consider  it  very  helpful  and  valuable.    I  trust  you  will 

be  able  to  secure  the  means  not  only  for  its  maintenance 

but  for  the  enlargement  of  its  scope.    It  is  a  good  work 

and  should  be  encouraged.  T  ^ 

LEONARD  WOOD. 

Oamp  Funston,  Kansas. 

Brigadier-General  Duncan  wrote  to  Colonel  Barker  the 
following  letter: 

December  7,  1917. 

The  Salvation  Army  in  this  its  first  experience  with 
GUI'  troops  has  stepped  very  closely  into  the  hearts  of  the 
men.  Your  huts  have  been  open  to  them  at  all  times. 
They  have  been  cordially  received  in  a  homelike  atmos- 
phere and  many  needs  provided  in  religious  teachings. 
Your  efforts  have  the  honest  support  of  our  chaplains.  I 
have  talked  with  many  of  our  soldiers  who  are  warm  in 
their  praise  and  satisfaction  in  what  is  being  done  for  them. 
For  myself  I  feel  that  the  Salvation  Army  has  a  real  place 
for  its  activities  with  our  Army  in  France  and  I  offer  you 
and  your  workers,  men  and  women,  good  wishes  and  thanks 
for  what  you  have  done  and  are  doing  for  our  men. 

G.  B.  DUNCAN,  Brigadier-General. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  297 

The  Salvation  Army  is  doing  a  great  work  in  France 
and  every  soldier  bears  testimony  to  the  fact. 

OMAR  BUNDY,  Major-General. 

Headquarters  First  Division, 
American  Expeditionary  Forces. 

France,  September  15, 1918. 
From:  Chief  of  Staff. 

To:       Major  L.  Allison  Coe,  Salvation  Army. 
Subject:  Service  in  Operation  against  St.  Mihiel  Salient. 

1.  The  Division  Commander  desires  me  to  express  to 
you  his  appreciation  of  the  particularly  valuable  service 
that  the  Salvation  Army,  through  you  and  your  assistants, 
has  rendered  the  Division  during  the  recent  operation 
against  the  St.  Mihiel  salient. 

2.  You  have  furnished  aid  and  comfort  to  the  Ameri- 
can soldier  throughout  the  trying  experiences  of  the  last 
few  days,  and  in  accomplishing  this  worthy  mission  have 
spared  yourself  in  nothing. 

3.  The  Division  Commander  wishes  me  to  thank  you 
for  the  Division  and  for  himself. 

CK/T.  CAMPBELL  KING,  Chief  of  Staff. 

CABLEGRAM. 

Paris,  December  17, 1917. 
Commander  Miss  E.  Booth,  120  W.  14th  Si,  New  York. 

I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  express  my  appreciation  of  the 
work  done  by  the  Salvation  Army  in  the  way  of  providing 
for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  the  Command.  I  think  the 
efforts  of  the  Salvation  Army  are  admirable  and  deserving 
of  appreciation  and  commendation,  and  I  consider  the 


298  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

effort  is  made  without  advertisement  and  that  it  reaches 
and  is  appreciated  by  those  for  whom  it  is  most  needed. 
L.  P.  MURPHY,  Lieut-Colonel  of  Cavalry. 

CABLEGRAM. 

Paris,  December  17, 1917. 
Commander  Miss  E.  Booth, 

120  W.  14th  Street,  New  York  City. 
I  wish  to  express  my  most  sincere  appreciation  of  the 
work  of  your  organization  with  my  regiment.  Your  Officer 
has  done  everything  that  could  be  expected  of  any  organiza- 
tion in  carrying  on  his  work  with  the  soldiers  of  this  com- 
mand, and  has  surpassed  any  such  expectations.  He  has 
assisted  the  soldiers  in  every  way  possible  and  has  gained 
their  hearty  good  will.  He  has  also  shown  himself  willing 
and  anxious  to  cany  out  regulations  and  orders  affecting 
his  organization.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  all  the  officers  and 
soldiers  of  this  command  are  most  enthusiastic  about  the 
help  of  the  Salvation  Army,  and  you  can  hear  nothing  but 
praise  for  its  work.  The  work  of  your  organization,  both 
religious  and  material,  has  been  wholesome  and  dignified, 
and  I  desire  you  to  know  that  it  is  appreciated. 

J.  L.  HINES, 
Colonel,  Sixteenth  Infantry. 

In  sending  a  contribution  toward  the  expenses  of  the 
War  Work,  Colonel  George  B.  McClellan  wrote : 

Treasurer,  Salvation  Army,  July  24,  1918. 

120  West  14th  Street,  New  York  City. 
DEAR  SIR  : 

All  the  Officers  I  have  talked  with  who  have  been  in  the 
trenches  have  enthusiastically  praised  the  work  the  Sal- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  299 

vation  Army  is  doing  at  the  front.  They  are  agreed  that 
for  coolness  under  fire,  cheerfulness  under  the  most  adverse 
conditions,  kindness,  helpfulness  and  real  efficiency,  your 
workers  are  unsurpassed. 

Will  you  accept  the  enclosed  check  as  my  modest  con- 
tribution to  your  War  Fund,  and  believe  me  to  be 

Yours  very  truly, 
GEO.  B.  MCCLELLAND  Li-Col.  Ord.  Dept.,  N.  A. 

CABLEGRAM. 

Paris,  December  17, 1917. 
Commander  Miss  E.  Booth, 

120  West  14th  Street,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 
I.  have  carefully  observed  the  work  of  the  Salvation 
Army  from  their  first  arrival  in  Training  Area  First  Divi- 
sion American  Expeditionary  Force  to  date.  The  work 
they  have  done  for  the  enlisted  men  of  the  Division  and  the 
places  of  amusement  and  recreation  that  they  have  pro- 
vided for  them,  are  of  the  highest  order.  I  unhesitatingly 
state  that,  in  my  opinion,  the  Salvation  Army  has  done 
more  for  the  enlisted  men  of  the  First  Division  than  any 
other  organization  or  society  operating  in  France. 

F.  G.  LAWTON, 
Colonel,  Infantry,  National  Army. 

To  WHOM  IT  MAY  CONCERN  : 

The  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  as  illustrated  by  the 
work  of  Major  S.  H.  Atkins  is  duplicated  by  no  one.  He 
has  been  Chaplain  and  more  besides.  He  has  the  confidence 
of  officers  and  men.  Major  Atkins,  as  typifying  the  Sal- 
vation Army,  has  been  forward  at  the  very  front  with  what 
is  even  more  important  than  the  rear  area  work. 

THEODORE  ROOSEVELT. 


300  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

The  following  letter  was  sent  to  Major  Atkins  of  the 
Salvation  Army: 

Headquarters,  1st  Battalion,  26th  Infantry, 

France,  December  26,  1917. 

I  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  great  work  you  have  been 
doing  here  among  the  men  of  this  battalion.  You  have 
added  greatly  to  the  happiness  and  contentment  of  us  all; 
giving,  as  you  have,  an  opportunity  for  good,  clean  enter- 
tainment and  pleasure. 

In  religious  work  you  have  done  much.  As  you  know, 
this  regiment  has  no  chaplain,  and  you  have  to  a  large 
extent  taken  the  place  of  one  here. 

For  myself,  and  on  behalf  of  the  officers  stationed  here, 
I  wish  to  express  my  appreciation  of  the  work  that  you 
have  been  doing  here,  and  the  hope  that  you  can  accom- 
pany the  battalion  wherever  the  fortune  of  war  may 
lead  us. 

Wishing  you  a  very  happy  and  successful  New  Year, 

•"•  am  Yours  sincerely, 

(Signed)  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT,  JR., 
Major  (U.S.R.),  26th  Infantry. 

When  Captain  Archibald  Roosevelt  was  lying  wounded 
in  Red  Cross  Hospital  No.  1  he  wrote  the  following  letter 
to  the  same  officer : 

Red  Cross  Hospital  No.  1. 

July  10,  1918. 

"  You  have,  by  your  example,  helped  the  men  morally 
and  physically.  By  your  continued  presence  in  the  most 
dangerous  and  uncomfortable  periods,  you  have  made  your- 
self the  comrade  and  friend  of  every  officer  and  man  in 
our  battalion.  It  is  in  this  way  that  you  have  filled  a 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  301 

position  which  the  other  charitable  organizations  had  left 
vacant. 

"let  me  also  mention  that,  perfect  Democrat  that  you 
are,  you  have  realized  the  necessity  of  discipline,  and  have 
helped  make  the  discipline  understood  by  these  men  and 
officers. 

"  If  all  the  Salvation  Army  workers  are  like  you,  I  sin- 
cerely hope  to  see  the  time  when  there  is  a  Salvation  Army 
officer  with  each  battalion  in  the  camp." 

Before  leaving  France  for  the  United  States,  two  Sal- 
vation Army  lassies  received  the  following  letter : 

I  was  very  sorry  to  hear  that  you  had  been  taken  from 
this  division,  and  desire  to  express  my  appreciation  of  the 
excellent  assistance  you  have  been  to  us. 

In  all  of  our  "  shows  "  you  have  been  with  us,  and  I  wish 
that  I  knew  of  the  many  sufferers  you  have  cheered  and 
made  more  comfortable.  They  are  many  and,  I  am  posi- 
tive, will  always  have  grateful  thoughts  of  you. 

I  have  seen  you  enduring  hardships — going  without 
food  and  sleep,  working  day  and  night,  sometimes  under 
fire,  both  shell  and  avion — and  never  have  you  been  any- 
thing but  cheerful  and  willing. 

I  thank  you  and  your  organization  for  all  of  this,  and 
assure  you  of  the  respect  and  gratitude  of  the  entire 

J.  I.  MABEE,  Colonel,  Medical  Corps, 

Division  Surgeon. 

CABLE. 

The  Salvation  Army,  New  York :        Jamlary  17'  1918' 

As  Inspector  General  of  the  First  Division  I  have  in- 
spected all  the  Salvation  Army  huts  in  this  Division  area 
and  I  am  glad  to  inform  you  that  your  work  here  is  a 


302  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

well-earned  success.  Your  huts  are  warm,  dry,  light,  and, 
I  believe,  much  appreciated  by  all  the  men  in  this  Division. 
To  make  these  huts  at  all  homelike  under  present  condi- 
tions requires  energy  and  ability.  I  know  that  the  Sal- 
vation Army  men  in  this  Division  have  it  and  am  very 
willing  to  so  testify. 

CONRAD  S.  BABCOCK,  Lieut.-Colonel, 
Inspector1  General,  First  Division. 

"  The  Salvation  Army  keeps  open  house,  and  any  time 
that  a  body  of  men  come  back  from  the  front  lines,  in  from 
a  convoy,  there  is  hot  coffee  and  sometimes  home-made 
doughnuts  (all  free  to  the  men).  I  was  in  command  of 
a  town  where  the  hut  never  closed  till  3  or  4  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  their  girls  baked  pies  and  made  doughnuts  up 
to  the  front,  under  shell  fire,  for  our  infantrymen.  A 
Salvation  Army  lassie  is  safe  without  an  escort  anywhere 
in  France  where  there  is  an  American  soldier.  That  speaks 
for  itself.  I  am  for  any  organization  that  is  out  to  do 
something  for  my  men,  and  I  think  that  it  is  the  idea 
of  the  American  people  when  they  give  their  money. 
What  we  want  is  someone  who  is  willing  to  come  over 
here  and  do  something  for  the  boys,  regardless  of  the  fact 
that  it  may  not  net  any  gain — in  fact,  may  not  help  them 
to  gather  enough  facts  for  a  lecture  tour  when  they  return 
home." 

Headquarters,  Third  Division, 
MY  DEAR  MR.  LEFFINGWELL  :  September  5, 1918. 

Your  letter  of  July  22d  just  received.  It  has,  perhaps, 
been  somewhat  delayed  in  reaching  me,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  I  have  recently  been  transferred  to  another  division. 

I  only  wish  things  had  been  so  that  I  might  have 
granted  you  or  a  representative  of  the  Salvation  Army  an 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  303 

interview  when  I  was  in  the  States  recently,  but,  being 
under  orders,  I  could  wait  for  nothing.  Whatever  I  may 
have  said,  in  a  casual  way,  of  the  work  of  the  Salvation 
Army  in  France,  I  assure  you  was  all  deserved.  Your 
organization  has  been  doing  a  splendid  work  for  the  men 
of  my  former  division  and  other  troops  who  have  come  in 
contact  with  it.  I  have  often  remarked,  as  have  many  of 
the  officers,  that  after  the  war  the  Salvation  Army  is  going 
to  receive  such  a  boom  from  the  boys  who  have  come  in 
touch  with  it  over  here  that  it  will  seem  like  a  veritable 
propaganda !  Why  shouldn't  it  ?  For  your  work  has  been 
conducted  in  such  a  quiet,  unostentatious,  unselfish  way 
that  only  a  man  whose  sensibilities  are  dead  can  fail  to 
appreciate  it.  I  have  found  several  of  your  workers,  whose 
names  at  this  moment  I  am  unable  to  recall,  putting  up 
with  all  sorts  of  hardships  and  inconveniences,  working 
from  daylight  until  well  into  the  night  that  the  boys  might 
be  cheered  in  one  way  or  another.  Your  shacks  have  always 
been  at  the  disposal  of  the  chaplains  for  their  regimental 
services.  Whether  Mass  for  the  Catholic  chaplains  or  Holy 
Communion  for  an  Episcopalian  chaplain,  they  always 
found  a  place  to  set  up  their  altars  in  the  Salvation  Army 
huts ;  and  the  Protestant  chaplains,  also  the  Jewish,  always, 
to  my  knowledge,  were  given  its  use  for  their  services.  I 
have  found  your  own  services  have  been  very  acceptable  to 
the  boys,  in  general,  but  perhaps  your  doughnut  program, 
with  hot  coffee  or  chocolate,  means  as  much  as  anything. 
Not  that,  like  those  of  old,  we  follow  the  Salvation  Army 
because  we  can  get  filled  up,  but  we  all  like  their  spirit. 
More  than  on  one  occasion  do  I  know  of  troops  moving  at 
night — and  pretty  wet  and  hungry — that  have  been  warmed 
and  fed  and  sent  on  their  way  with  new  courage  because  of 
what  some  Salvation  Army  worker  and  hut  furnished.  And 


304  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

as  they  went  their  way  many  fine  things  were  said  about 
the  Salvation  Army.  I  am  sure,  as  a  result  of  this  work, 
you  have  won  the  favor  and  confidence  of  hundreds  of 
these  soldier  lads,  and,  if  I  am  not  terribly  mistaken,  when 
we  get  home  the  Salvation  tambourine  will  receive  greater 
consideration  than  heretofore. 

I  am  glad  to  express  my  feelings  for  your  work.    God 
bless  you  in  it,  and  always ! 
Sincerely  yours, 

LYMAN  KOLUNS,  Division  Chaplain, 
Headquarters,  Third  Division,  A.  E.  F.,  via  New  York. 

At  the  Front  in  France,  June  12,  1918. 
Commissioner  Thomas  Estill, 
Salvation  Army,  Chicago. 
MY  DEAR  COMMISSIONER  : 

We  are  engaged  in  a  great  battle.  My  time  is  all  taken 
with  our  wounded  and  dead.  Still  I  cannot  resist  the 
temptation  to  take  a  few  moments  in  which  to  express  our 
appreciation  of  the  splendid  aid  given  our  soldiers  by  the 
Salvation  Army. 

The  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  is  not  in  duplication 
of  that  of  any  other  organization.  It  is  entirely  original 
and  unique.  It  fills  a  long-felt  want.  Some  day  the  world 
will  know  the  aid  that  you  have  rendered  our  soldiers. 
Then  you  will  receive  every  dollar  you  need. 

Your  work  is  also  greatly  appreciated  by  the  French 
people.  I  have  never  heard  a  single  unfavorable  comment 
on  the  Salvation  Army.  They  are  respected  everywhere. 
Their  unselfish  devotion  to  our  well,  sick,  wounded  and 
dead  is  above  any  praise  that  I  can  bestow.  God  will  surely 
greatly  reward  them. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  305 

I  heartily  congratulate  you  on  the  class  of  workers  you 
have  sent  over  here.  I  pray  that  your  invaluable  aid  may 
be  extended  to  our  troops  everywhere.  God  bless  you 

and  yours,  T    ,-,. 

In  His  name, 

(Signed)  THOMAS  J.  DICKSON, 
Chaplain  with  rank  of  Major, 
Sixth  Field  Artillery,  First  Division,  U.  S.  Army. 

An  appreciation  written  concerning  the  first  Salvation 
Army  chaplain  that  was  appointed  after  the  war  started : 

Camp  Cody,  New  Mexico, 
January  16, 1918. 

Major  E.  C.  Clemans, 

136th  Infantry,  Camp  Cody,  N.  M. 
Commissioner  Thomas  Estill,  Chicago,  111. 

I  have  been  associated  with  the  chaplain  now  for  nearly 
four  months.  I  have  found  him  a  Christian  soldier  and 
gentleman.  He  is  "on  the  job"  all  the  time  and  no 
Chaplain  in  this  Division  is  doing  more  faithful  and  effec- 
tive work.  He  is  thoroughly  evangelistic,  is  burdened  for 
the  souls  of  his  men  and  is  working  for  their  salvation  not 
in  but  from  their  sins.  He  is  a  "  man's  man,"  knows  how  to 
approach  men  and  knows  how  and  does  get  hold  of  their 
affections  in  such  a  way  that  he  is  a  help  and  a  comfort  to 
them.  He  brings  things  to  pass. 

The  Salvation  Army  may  be  well  pleased  that  it  is 
so  well  represented  in  the  Army  as  it  is  by  Chaplain  Kline. 
Sincerely  yours, 

(Signed)  EZRA  C.  CLEMANS, 
Senior  Chaplain,  34th  Division. 
20 


306  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

July  11,  1918. 

I  have  been  familiar  with  the  work  of  the  Salvation 
Army  for  years,  and  the  organization  from  the  beginning 
of  the  war  has  been  doing  a  wonderful  work  with  the  Allied 
forces  and  since  the  entering  of  the  United  States  into  the 
struggle  has  given  splendid  aid  and  cooperation  not  only 
in  connection  with  the  war  activities  at  home  but  also  with 
our  forces  abroad.  Their  work  is  entitled  to  the  sincere 
admiration  of  every  American  citizen. 

MAJOR  EDWIN  F.  GLENN. 
To  WHOM  IT  MAY  CONCERN  : 

It  gives  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  testify  to  the  very 
excellent  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  as  I  have  seen  it  in 
this  division.  I  have  seen  the  work  done  by  this  organiza- 
tion for  ten  months,  under  all  sorts  of  conditions,  and  it 
has  always  been  of  the  highest  character.  At  the  start, 
the  Salvation  Army  was  handicapped  by  lack  of  funds, 
but  even  under  adverse  conditions,  it  did  most  valuable 
work  in  maintaining  cheerful  recreation  centres  for  the 
men,  often  in  places  exposed  to  hostile  shell-fire.  The 
doughnut  and  pie  supply  has  been  maintained.  This  seems 
a  little  thing,  but  it  has  gone  a  long  way  to  keep  the  men 
cheerful.  All  the  Salvation  Army  force  has  been  untiring 
in  its  work  under  very  trying  conditions,  and  as  a  result, 
I  believe  it  has  gained  the  respect  and  affection  of  officers 
and  men  more  than  any  similar  organization. 

ALBERT  J.  MYERS,  JR.,  Major,  National  Army. 
1st  Div.,  A.  E.  F.  (Captain,  Cavalry,  U.  S.  A.) 

Extract  from  letter  from  Captain  Charles  W.  Albright : 

Q.  M.,  E.  C.,  France. 

"As  to  the  Salvation  Army,  well,  if  they  wanted  our 
boys  to  lie  down  for  them  to  walk  on,  to  keep  their  feet  from 
getting  muddy,  the  boys  would  gladly  do  so. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  307 

"  From  everyone,  officers  and  men  alike,  nothing  but  the 
highest  praise  is  given  the  Salvation  Army.  They  are  right 
in  the  thick  of  danger,  comforting  and  helping  the  men  in 
the  front  line,  heedless  of  shot,  shell  or  gas,  the  U.  S.  Army 
in  France,  as  a  unit,  swears  by  the  Salvation  Army. 

"  I  am  proud  to  have  a  sister  in  their  ranks." 

An  old  regular  army  officer  who  returned  to  Paris  last 
week  said : 

"  I  wish  every  American  who  has  stood  on  street  cor- 
ners in  America  and  sneered  at  the  work  of  the  Salvation 
Army  could  see  what  they  are  doing  for  the  boys  in  France. 

"  They  do  not  proclaim  that  they  are  here  for  investi- 
gation or  for  getting  atmosphere  for  War  romances.  They 
have  not  come  to  furnish  material  for  Broadway  press 
agents.  They  do  not  wear,  *  Oh,  such  becoming  uniforms/ 
white  shoes,  dainty  blue  capes  and  bonnets,  nor  do  they 
frequent  Paris  tea  rooms  where  the  swanky  British  and 
American  officers  put  up. 

"Take  it  from  me,  these  women  are  doing  almighty 
fine  work.  There  are  twenty-two  of  them  here  in  France. 
We  army  men  have  given  them  shell-shattered  and  cast-off 
field  kitchens  to  work  with,  and  oh,  man,  the  doughnuts, 
the  pancakes  and  the  pies  they  turn  out ! 

"I'm  an  old  army  officer,  but  what  I  like  about  the 
Salvation  Army  is  that  it  doesn't  cater  to  officers.  It  is 
for  the  doughboys'  first,  last  and  all  the  time.  The  Salva- 
tion Army  men  do  not  wear  Sam  Browne  belts;  they  do 
as  little  handshaking  with  officers  as  possible. 

"  They  cash  the  boys'  checks  without  question,  and  dur- 
ing the  month  of  April  in  a  certain  division  the  Salvation 
Army  sent  home  $20,000  for  the  soldiers.  The  Rockefeller 
Foundation  hasn't  as  yet  given  the  Salvation  Army  a  mil- 


308  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF^ 

lion-dollar  donation  to  carry  on  its  work.  Fact  is,  I  don't 
know  just  how  the  Salvation  Army  chaplains  and  lassies  do 
get  along.  But  get  along  they  do. 

"Perhaps  some  of  the  boys  and  officers  give  them  a 
lift  now  and  then  when  the  sledding  is  rough.  They  don't 
aim  to  make  a  slight  profit  as  do  some  other  organizations. 

"  Ever  since  Cornelius  Hickey  put  up  '  Hickey's  Hut/ 
the  first  Salvation  Army  hut  in  France,  they  have  been 
working  at  a  loss.  I  saw  an  American  officer  give  a  Salva- 
tion Army  chaplain  500  francs  out  of  his  pay  at  a  certain 
small  town  in  France  recently. 

"  The  work  done  in  '  Hickey's  Hut '  did  much  to  endear 
the  Salvation  folks  to  the  doughboys.  When  a  letter  arrived 
in  France  some  months  ago  addressed  only  to  '  Hickey's 
Hut,  France/  it  reached  its  destination  toute  de  suite,  forty- 
eight  hours  after  it  arrived. 

"  The  French  climate  has  hit  our  boys  hard.  It  is  wet 
and  penetratingly  cold.  Goes  right  to  the  marrow,  and 
three  suits  of  underwear  are  no  protection  against  it.  When 
the  lads  returned  from  training  camp  or  the  trenches, 
wet,  cold,  hungry  and  despondent,  they  found  a  welcome  in 
'  Hickey's  Hut/ 

"  Not  a  patronizing,  holier-than-thou,  we-know-we-are- 
doing-a-good-work-and-hope-you-doughboys  -  appreciate  -  it 
sort  of  a  welcome,  but  a  good  old  Salvation  Army,  Bowery 
Mission  welcome,  such  as  Tim  Sullivan  knew  how  to  hand 
out  in  the  old  days. 

"Around  a  warm  fire  with  men  who  spoke  their  own 
language  and  who  did  not  pretend  to  be  above  them  in  the 
social  scale  the  doughboys  forgot  that  they  were  four  thou- 
sand miles  from  home  and  that  they  couldn't  *  sling  the 
lingo/ 

"  I  saw  a  group  of  lads  on  the  Montdidier  front  who 
had  not  been  paid  in  three  months,  standing  cursing  their 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  309 

luck.    They  had  no  money,  therefore,  they  could  not  buy 
anything. 

"  The  Salvation  Army  had  been  apprised  by  telegraph 
that  the  doughboys  were  playing  in  hard  luck.  Presto! 
Out  from  Paris  came  a  truck  loaded  with  everything  to  eat. 
The  truck  was  unloaded  and  the  boys  paid  for  whatever 
they  wanted  with  slips  of  paper  signed  with  their  John 
Hancocks.  The  Salvation  Army  lassies  asked  no  ques- 
tions, but  accepted  the  slips  of  paper  as  if  they  were  Uncle 
Sam's  gold. 

"And  one  of  the  most  useful  institutions  in  Europe 
where  war  rages  is  one  that  has  no  publicity  bureau  and  has 
no  horns  to  toot.  This  is  the  Salvation  Army.  In  the 
estimation  of  many,  the  Salvation  Army  goes  way  ahead  of 
the  work  of  many  of  the  other  war  organizations  working 
here.  I  see  brave  women  and  young  women  of  the  Salva- 
tion Army  every  day  in  places  that  are  really  hazardous." 

First  Lieutenant  Marion  M.  Marcus,  Jr.,  Field  Artil- 
lery, wrote  to  one  of  our  leading  officers : 

October  9,  1918. 

"  If  the  people  at  home  could  see  the  untiring  and  abso- 
lute devotion  of  the  workers  of  the  Salvation  Army,  in 
serving  and  caring  for  our  men,  they  would  more  than  give 
you  the  support  you  ask.  The  way  the  men  and  women 
expose  themselves  to  the  dangers  of  the  front  lines  and 
hardships  has  more  than  endeared  them  to  every  member 
of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  and  they  are  always 
in  the  right  spot  with  cheer  of  hot  food  and  drink  when  it 
is  most  appreciated/' 

EXTBACT  FBOM   LETTER. 

"Away  up  front  where  things  break  hard  and  rough 
for  us,  and  we  are  hungry  and  want  something  hot,  we 
can  usually  find  it  in  some  old  partly  destroyed  building, 


310  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

which  has  been  organized  into  a  shack  by — well,  guess — 
the  Salvation  Army. 

"  They  are  the  soldier's  friend.  They  make  no  display 
or  show  of  any  kind,  but  they  are  fast  winning  a  warm  cor- 
ner in  the  heart  of  everyone." 

"  I  feel  it  is  my  duty  to  drop  you  a  few  lines  to  let  you 
know  how  the  boys  over  here  appreciate  what  the  Salvation 
Army  is  doing  for  them.  It  is  a  second  home  to  us.  There 
is  always  a  cheerful  welcome  awaiting  us  there  and  I  have 
yet  to  meet  a  sour-faced  clerk  behind  the  counter.  One 
Salvation  Army  worker  has  his  home  in  a  cellar,  located 
close  to  the  front-line  trenches.  He  cheerfully  carries  on 
his  wonderful  work  amid  the  flying  of  shells  and  in  danger 
of  gas.  He  is  one  fine  fellow,  always  greeting  you  with  a 
smile.  He  serves  the  boys  with  hot  coffee  every  day,  free  of 
charge,  and  many  times  he  has  divided  his  own  bread  with 
the  tired  and  hungry  boys  returning  from  the  trenches.  In 
the  evening  he  serves  coffee  and  doughnuts  at  a  small  price. 
Say,  who  wouldn't  be  willing  to  fight  after  feasting  on  that  ? 

"  In  the  many  rest  camps  you  will  find  the  Salvation 
Army  girls.  They  are  located  so  close  to  the  front-line 
trenches  that  they  have  to  wear  their  gas  masks  in  the  slung 
position,  and  they  also  have  their  tin  hats  ready  to  put  on. 
The  girls  certainly  are  a  fine,  jolly  bunch,  and  when  it 
comes  to  baking  pies  and  doughnuts  they  are  hard  to  beat. 
The  boys  line  up  a  half  hour  before  time  so  as  to  be  sure 
they  get  their  share.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  talking  to  a 
mother  and  her  daughter  and  they  told  me  they  had  sold 
out  everything  they  had  to  the  boys  with  the  exception  of 
some  salmon  and  sardines  on  which  they  were  living — sal- 
mon for  dinner  and  sardines  for  supper.  They  stood  it  all 
with  big  smiles  and  those  smiles  made  me  smile  when  I 
thought  of  my  troubles. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  311 

"  In  the  trenches  the  boys  become  affected  with  body  lice, 
known  as  cooties.  A  good  hot  bath  is  the  only  real  cure 
for  them.  While  on  the  way  to  a  bath-house  a  Salvation 
Army  worker  overtook  us.  He  was  riding  in  a  Ford  which 
had  seen  better  days.  The  springs  on  it  were  about  all  in 
and  it  made  a  noise  like  someone  calling  for  mercy.  The 
Salvation  Army  worker  pulled  up  in  front  of  us  and  with  a 
broad  smile  on  his  face  said :  "  Eoom  for  half  a  ton !  "  We 
did  not  need  a  second  invitation  and  we  soon  had  poor 
Henry  loaded  down.  I  thought  sure  it  would  give  out,  but 
the  worker  only  laughed  about  it  and  kept  on  feeding  the 
machine  more  gas  as  we  cheered  until  it  started  away 
with  us. 

"  I  want  to  tell  you  what  the  Salvation  Army  does  for 
the  moral  side  of  the  soldier.  The  American  soldier  needs 
the  guidance  of  God  over  here  more  than  he  ever  did  in  his 
whole  life.  Away  from  home  and  in  a  foreign  land  in  every 
corner,  one  must  have  Divine  guidance  to  keep  him  on  the 
narrow  path  of  life.  If  it  was  not  for  the  workers  of  God 
over  here  the  boys  would  gradually  break  away  and  then 
I'm  afraid  we  would  not  have  the  right  kind  of  fighters  to 
hold  up  our  end.  Of  course,  prayers  alone  won't  satisfy 
the  appetite  of  the  American  soldier,  and  the  Salvation 
Army  girls  get  around  that  by  baking  for  the  boys.  They 
believe  in  satisfying  the  cravings  of  the  stomach  as  well  as 
the  craving  of  the  soul  and  mind.  I  always  enjoy  the  ser- 
mons at  the  Salvation  Army.  A  good,  every-day  sermon 
is  always  appreciated.  The  Salvation  Army  helps  you  along 
in  their  good  old  way,  and  they  don't  believe  in  preaching 
all  day  on  what  you  should  do  and  what  you  shouldn't  do. 
The  girls  are  a  fine  bunch  of  singers  and  their  singing  is 
enjoyed  very  much  by  all  of  the  boys.  It  is  a  treat  to  see 
an  American  girl  so  close  to  the  front  and  a  still  better  treat 
to  listen  to  one  sing. 


312  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"  The  Salvation  Army  does  much  good  work  in  keeping 
the  boys  in  the  right  spirit  so  that  they  are  glad  to  go  back  to 
the  trenches  when  their  turn  comes.  There  is  no  Salvation 
Army  hut  on  this  front.  I  often  wish  there  was  one  on 
every  front.  I  believe  the  Salvation  Army  does  not  get  its 
full  credit  over  in  the  States.  Perhaps  the  people  over 
there  do  not  understand  the  full  meaning  of  the  work  it  is 
doing  over  here.  I  want  the  Salvation  Army  to  know  that 
it  has  all  of  the  boys  over  here  back  of  it  and  we  want  to  keep 
up  the  good  work.  We  will  go  through  hell,  if  necessary, 
because  we  know  the  folks  back  home  are  back  of  us.  We 
want  the  Salvation  Army  to  feel  the  same  way.  The  boys 
over  here  are  really  back  of  it  and  we  want  you  to  continue 
your  good  work." 

"  There  is  just  one  thing  more  I  wish  to  speak  of,  and 
that  is  the  little  old  Salvation  Army.  You  will  never  see 
me,  nor  any  of  the  other  boys  over  here,  laugh  at  their  street 
services  in  the  future,  and  if  I  see  anyone  else  doing  that 
little  thing  that  person  is  due  for  a  busted  head !  I  haven't 
seen  where  they  are  raising  a  tenth  the  money  some  of  the 
other  societies  are,  but  they  are  the  topnotchers  of  them  all 
as  the  soldiers'  friend,  and  their  handouts  always  come  at 
the  right  time.  Some  of  those  girls  work  as  hard  as  we  do." 

"  The  Salvation  Army  over  here  is  doing  wonderful 
work.  They  haven't  any  shows  or  music,  but  they  certainly 
know  what  pleases  the  boys  most,  and  feed  us  with  home- 
made apple  pie  or  crullers,  with  lemonade — a  great  big  piece 
of  pie  or  three  crullers,  with  a  large  cup  of  lemonade,  for  a 
franc  (18^  cents). 

"  These  people  are  working  like  beavers,  and  the  people 
in  the  States  ought  to  give  them  plenty  of  credit  and  appre- 
ciate their  wonderful  help  to  the  men  over  here." 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  313 

"  We  were  in  a  bomb-proof  semi-dugout,  in  the  heart  of 
a  dense  forest,  within  range  of  enemy  guns,  my  Hebrew 
comrade  and  I.  We  were  talking  of  the  fate  that  brought 
us  here — of  the  conditions  as  we  left  them  at  home.  There 
was  the  thought  of  what  'might'  happen  if  we  were  to 
return  to  America  minus  a  limb  or  an  eye;  we  were  dis- 
cussing the  great  economic  and  moral  reform  which  is  a 
certainty  after  the  war,  when  through  the  air  came  the 
harmonious  strumming  of  a  guitar  accompanying  a  sweet, 
feminine  voice,  and  we  heard : 

Lead,  Kindly  Light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom; 

Lead  Thou  me  on; 
The  night  is  dark  and  I  am  far  from  home, 

Lead  Thou  me  on. 
Keep  Thou  my  feet;  I  do  not  ask  to  see 

The  distant  scene — 
One  step  enough  for  me. 

"  It  was  the  Salvation  Army !  In  a  desert  of  human 
hearts,  many  of  them  wounded  with  heartache,  these  brave, 
brave  servants  of  the  Son  of  David  came  to  cheer  us  up 
and  make  life  more  bearable. 

"In  our  outfit  are  Greeks,  Italians,  Bohemians,  Irish, 
Jews — all  of  them  loyal  Americans — and  the  Salvation 
Army  serves  each  with  an  impartial  self-sacrifice  which 
should  forever  still  the  voices  of  critics  who  condemn  send- 
ing Army  lassies  over  here. 

"Those  in  the  ranks  are  men.  The  Salvation  Army 
women  are  admired — almost  worshipped — but  respected  and 
safe.  Men  by  the  thousands  would  lay  down  their  lives  for 
the  Salvationists,  and  not  till  after  the  war  will  the  full 
results  of  this  sacrifice  by  Salvation  Army  workers  bear 
fruit.  But  now,  with  so  many  strong  temptations  to  go  the 
wrong  way,  here  are  noble  girls  roughing  it,  smiling  at  the 


314  THE  WAB  ROMANCE  OF 

hardships,  singing  songs,  making  doughnuts  for  the  dough- 
boys, and  always  reminding  us,  even  in  danger,  that  it  is 
not  all  of  '  life  to  live,'  bringing  to  us  recollections  of  our 
mothers,  sisters,  and  sweethearts,  and  if  anyone  questions, 
'  Is  it  worth  while  ? '  the  answer  is :  '  A  thousand  times 
yes ! '  and  I  cannot  refrain  from  sending  my  hearty  thanks 
for  all  this  service  means  to  us. 

"  A  few  miles  in  back  of  us  now,  a  half  dozen  Connecti- 
cut girls  representing  the  Salvation  Army  are  doing  their  bit 
to  make  things  brighter  for  us,  and  say,  maybe  those  girls 
cannot  bake.  Every  day  they  furnish  us  with  real  home- 
made crullers  and  pies  at  a  small  cost,  and  their  coffee, 
holy  smoke !  it  makes  me  homesick  to  even  write  about  it. 
The  girls  have  their  headquarters  in  an  old  tumble-down 
building  and  they  must  have  some  nerve,  for  the  Boche 
keeps  dropping  shells  all  around  them  day  and  night,  and 
it  would  only  take  one  of  those  shells  to  blow  the  whole 
outfit  into  kingdom  come." 

In  a  letter  from  a  private  to  his  mother  while  he  was 
lying  wounded  in  the  hospital,  he  says  of  the  Salvation 
Army  and  Eed  Cross: 

"  Most  emphatically  let  me  say  that  they  both  are  giving 
real  service  to  the  men  here  and  both  are  worthy  of  any 
praise  or  help  that  can  be  given  them.  This  is  especially 
so  of  the  Salvation  Army,  because  it  is  not  fully  under- 
stood just  what  they  are  doing  over  here.  They  are  the 
only  ones  that,  regardless  of  shells  or  gas,  feed  the  boys  in 
the  trenches  and  bear  home  to  them  the  realization  of  what 
God  really  is  at  the  very  moment  when  our  brave  lads  are 
facing  death.  Their  timely  phrases  about  the  Christ, 
handed  out  with  their  doughnuts  and  coffee,  have  turned 
many  faltering  souls  back  to  the  path  and  they  will  never 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  315 

forget  it.  '  Man's  extremity  is  God's  opportunity '  surely 
holds  good  here.  You  may  not  realize  or  think  it  possible, 
but  a  large  majority  of  the  boys  carry  Bibles  and  there  are 
often  heated  arguments  over  the  different  phrases. 

"  I  have  just  turned  my  pockets  inside  out  and  the  tam- 
bourine could  hold  no  more,  but  it  was  all  I  had  and  I 
am  still  in  debt  to  the  Salvation  Army. 

"  For  hot  coffee  and  cookies  when  I  was  shivering  like 
an  aspen,  for  buttons  and  patches  on  my  tattered  uniform, 
for  steering  me  clear  of  the  camp  followers ;  but  more  than 
all  for  the  cheery  words  of  solace  for  those  '  gone  West/  for 
the  blessed  face  of  a  woman  from  the  homeland  in  the  midst 
of  withering  blight  and  desolation — for  these  I  am  in- 
debted to  the  Salvation  Army." 

CABLEGRAM. 

Commander  Miss  E.  Booth,     Paris>  ^cember  17, 1917. 

120  W.  14th  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Being  a  Private,  I  am  one  of  the  many  thousands  who 
enjoy  the  kindnesses  and  thoughtful  recreation  in  the  Sal- 
vation hut.  The  huts  are  always  crowded  when  the  boys 
are  off  duty,  for  'tis  there  we  find  warmth  of  body  and  com- 
radeship, pleasures  in  games  and  music,  delight  in  the 
palatable  refreshments,  knowledge  in  reading  periodicals, 
convenience  in  the  writing  material  at  our  disposal,  and 
other  home-like  touches  for  enjoyment.  The  courtesy  and 
good-will  of  the  hut  workers,  combined  with  these  good 
things,  makes  the  huts  a  resort  of  real  comfort  with  the 
big  thought  of  salvation  in  Christ  predominating  over  all. 
Appreciation  of  these  huts,  and  all  they  mean  to  the  soldier 
in  this  terrible  war,  rises  full  in  all  our  hearts. 

CLINTON  SPENCER, 
Private,  Motor  Action. 


316  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"  I  just  used  to  love  to  listen  to  the  Salvation  Army  at 
6th  and  Penn  Streets,  but  I  never  dreamed  of  seeing  them 
over  here.  And  when  I  first  saw  four  girls  cooking  and 
baking  all  day  I  wondered  what  it  was  all  about. 

"  But  I  didn't  have  long  to  find  out,  for  that  night  I  saw 
these  same  girls  put  on  their  gaa  masks  at'  the  alert  and 
start  for  the  trenches.  Then  I  started  to  ask  about  them. 
I  never  spoke  to  the  girls,  but  fellows  who  had  been  in 
the  trenches  told  me  that  they  came  up  under  shell  fire  to 
give  the  boys  pies  or  doughnuts  or  little  cakes  or  cocoa  or 
whatever  they  had  made  that  day.  I  thought  that  great  of 
the  Salvation  Army.  And  many  a  boy  who  got  help 
through  them  has  a  warm  spot  in  his  heart  for  them. 

"  You  can  see  by  the  paper  I  write  on  who  gave  it  to  us. 
It  is  Salvation  Army  paper.  Altogether  I  say  give  three 
hearty  cheers  for  the  Salvation  Army  and  the  girls  who 
risk  their  own  lives  to  give  our  boys  a  little  treat." 

"  I  am  going  to  crow  about  our  real  friends  here — and  it 
is  the  verdict  of  all  the  boys — it  is  the  Salvation  Army, 
Joe.  That  is  the  boys'  mother  and  father  here.  It  is  our 
home.  They  have  a  treat  for  us  boys  every  night — that  is, 
cookies,  doughnuts  or  pie — about  9  o'clock.  But  that  is 
only  a  little  of  them.  The  big  thing  is  the  spirit — the  feel- 
ing a  boy  gets  of  being  home  when  he  enters  the  hut  and 
meets  the  lassies  and  lads  who  call  themselves  the  soldiers 
of  Christ,  and  we  are  proud  to  call  them  brother  soldiers. 
We  think  the  world  of  them !  So,  Joe,  whenever  you  get  a 
chance  to  do  the  Salvation  Army  a  good  turn,  by  word  or 
deed,  do  so,  as  thereby  you  will  help  us.  When  we  get  back 
we  are  going  to  be  the  Salvation  Army's  big  friend,  and 
you  will  see  it  become  one  of  the  United  States'  great 
organizations." 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  317 

"  My  life  as  a  soldier  is  not  quite  as  easy  as  it  was  in 
Rochester,  but  still  I  am  not  going  to  give  up  my  religion, 
and  I  am  not  ashamed  to  let  the  other  fellows  know  that  I 
belong  to  the  Salvation  Army.  Sometimes  they  try  to  get 
me  to  smoke  or  go  and  have  a  glass  of  beer  with  them,  but 
I  tell  them  that  I  am  a  Salvationist.  There  are  twenty 
fellows  in  a  hut,  so  they  used  to  make  fun  at  me  when  I 
used  to  say  my  prayers.  Once  in  awhile  I  used  to  have  a 
pair  of  shoes  or  a  coat  or  something  thrown  at  me.  I  used 
to  think  what  I  could  do  to  stop  them  throwing  things  at 
me,  so  I  thought  of  a  plan  and  waited.  It  was  two  or  three 
nights  before  they  threw  anything  again.  One  night,  as  I 
was  saying  my  prayers,  someone  threw  his  shoes  at  me. 
After  I  got  through  I  picked  up  the  shoes  and  took  out  my 
shoe  brushes  and  polished  and  cleaned  the  shoes  thrown  at 
me,  and  from  that  night  to  now  I  have  never  had  a  thing 
thrown  at  me.  The  fellow  came  to  me  in  a  little  while 
and  said  he  was  sorry  he  had  thrown  them.  There  are  four 
or  five  Salvationists  in  our  company—one  was  a  Captain 
in  the  States.  The  Salvation  Army  has  three  big  huts  here 
among  the  soldier  boys.  We  have  some  nice  meetings  here, 
and  they  have  reading-rooms  and  writing  and  lunch-rooms, 
so  I  spend  most  of  my  time  there." 

LETTER  OP  COMMENDATION  RE  SALVATION  ARMY. 

IT.  S.  S.  Point  Bonita,  15  October,  1918. 
Miss  Evangeline  Booth,  Commander, 
Care  of  Salvation  Army  Headquarters, 

14th  Street,  New  York  City. 
DEAR  Miss  BOOTH  : — 

We  want  to  thank  you  for  presenting  our  crew  with  an 
elegant  phonograph  and  25  records.  We  are  all  going  to 
take  up  a  collection  and  buy  a  lot  of  records  and  I  guess  we 
will  be  able  to  pass  the  time  away  when  we  are  not  on  watch. 


318  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

We  have  a  few  men  in  the  crew  who  have  made  trips 
across  on  transports  and  they  say  that  every  soldier  and 
sailor  has  praised  the  Salvation  Army  way-up-to-the-sky 
for  all  the  many  kindnesses  shown  them. 

We  also  want  to  thank  you  for  the  kindness  shown  to 
one  of  our  crew.  The  Major  who  gave  us  the  present  was 
the  best  yet  and  so  was  the  gentleman  who  drove  the  auto 
about  ten  miles  to  our  ship.  That  is  the  Salation  Army 
all  over.  During  the  war  or  in  times  of  peace,  your  organi- 
zation reaches  the  hearts  of  all. 

We  all  would  like  to  thank  Mr.  Leinngwell  for  his  great 
kindness  in  helping  us. 

The  undersigned  all  have  the  warmest  eort  of  feeling 
for  you  and  the  Salvation  Army. 

Many,  many  thanks,   from  the  ship's  crew. 

"  I  was  down  to  the  Salvation  Army  the  other  day  help- 
ing them  cook  doughnuts  and  they  sure  did  taste  good,  and 
the  fellows  fairly  go  crazy  to  get  them,  too.  Anything  that 
is  homemade  don't  last  long  around  here,  and  when  they  get 
candy  or  anything  sweet  there  is  a  line  about  a  block  long. 

(t  Notice  the  paper  this  is  written  on  ?  Well,  I  can't  say 
enough  about  them.  They  sure  are  a  treat  to  us  boys,  and 
almost  every  night  they  have  good  eats  for  us.  One  night 
it  is  lemonade,  pies  and  coffee,  and  the  next  it  is  doughnuts 
and  coffee,  and  they  are  just  like  mother  makes.  There 
are  two  girls  here  that  run  the  place,  and  they  are  real 
American  girls,  too.  The  first  I  have  seen  since  I  have 
been  in  France,  and  I'll  say  they  are  a  treat ! 

"  Hogan  and  I  have  been  helping  them,  and  now  I  cook 
pies  and  doughnuts  as  well  as  anyone.  We  sure  do  have 
a  picnic  with  them  and  enjoy  helping  out  once  in  awhile. 
One  thing  I  want  you  to  do  is  to  help  the  Salvation  Army 
all  you  can  and  whenever  you  get  a  chance  to  lend  a  help- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  319 

ing  hand  to  them  do  it,  for  they  sure  have  done  a  whole  lot 
for  your  boy,  and  if  you  can  get  them  a  write-up  in  the 
papers,  why  do  it  and  I  will  be  happy." 

FROM  LORD  DERBY. 

"  The  splendid  work  which  the  Salvation  Army  has  done 
among  the  soldiers  during  the  war  is  one  for  which  I,  as 
Secretary  of  State  for  War,  should  like  to  thank  them  most 
sincerely ;  it  is  a  work  which  is  deserving  of  all  support." 

STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY 

EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT 

TRENTON. 

MY  DEAR  MR.  BATTLE  :  December  27,  1917. 

I  have  learned  of  the  campaign  of  the  Salvation  Army 
to  raise  money  for  its  war  activities.  The  work  of  the  Sal- 
vation Army  is  at  all  times  commendable  and  deserving,  but 
particularly  so  in  its  relation  to  the  war. 

I  sincerely  hope  that  the  campaign  will  be  very 
successful.  Cordially  yours, 

(Signed)  WALTER  E.  EDGE, 

Mr.  George  Gordon  Battle,  Governor. 

General  Chairman,  37  Wall  Street,  New  York  City. 

GOVERNOR  CHARLES  S.  WHITMAN'S  ADDRESS  AT  LUNCHEON 
AT  HOTEL  TEN  EYCK,  ALBANY,  NEW  YORK,  DECEMBER 
8,  1917. 

"  I  take  especial  pleasure  in  offering  my  tribute  of  re- 
spect and  appreciation  to  the  Salvation  Army.  I  have 
known  of  its  work  as  intimately  as  any  man  who  is  not 
directly  connected  with  the  organization.  In  my  position 
as  a  judge  and  a  district  attorney  of  New  York  City  for 
many  years,  I  always  found  the  Salvation  Army  a  great  help 
in  solving  the  various  problems  of  the  poor,  the  criminal 
and  distressed. 


320  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"Frequently  while  other  agencies,  though  good,  hesi- 
tated, there  was  never  a  case  where  there  was  a  possibility 
that  relief  might  be  brought — never  was  a  case  of  misery 
or  violence  so  low,  that  the  Salvation  Army  would  not 
undertake  it. 

"  The  Salvation  Army  lends  its  manhood  and  woman- 
hood to  go  '  Over  There '  from  our  States,  and  our  State, 
to  labor  with  those  who  fight  and  die.  There  is  very  little 
we  can  do,  but  we  can  help  with  our  funds." 

"The  Salvation  Army  is  worthy  of  the  support  of  all 
right-thinking  people.  Its  main  purpose  is  to  reclaim  men 
and  women  to  decency  and  good  citizenship.  This  pur- 
pose is  being  prosecuted  not  only  with  energy  and  enthu- 
siasm but  with  rare  tact  and  judgment. 

"The  sphere  of  the  Army's  operations  has  now  been 
extended  to  the  battlefields  of  Europe,  where  its  conse- 
crated workers  will  cooperate  with  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  K.  of  C., 
and  kindred  organizations. 

"It  gives  me  pleasure  to  commend  the  work  of  this 
beneficent  organization,  and  to  urge  our  people  to  remem- 
ber its  splendid  service  to  humanity. 
"  Very  truly  yours, 

"ALBERT  E.  SLEEPER, 

"  Governor." 

Endorsement  of  January  25,  1918. 

Governor  Hugh  M.  Dorsey,  of  Georgia. 

The  Salvation  Army  has  been  a  potent  force  for  good 
everywhere,  so  far  as  I  know.  They  are  rendering  to  our 
soldiers  "somewhere  in  France"  the  most  invaluable  aid, 
ministering  not  only  to  their  spiritual  needs,  but  caring 
for  them  in  a  material  way.  This  they  have  done  without 
the  blare  of  trumpets. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  321 

Many  commanding  officers  certify  to  the  fact  that  the 
Salvation  Army  is  not  only  rendering  most  effective  work, 
but  that  this  work  is  of  a  distinctive  character  and  of  a 
nature  not  covered  by  the  activities  of  other  organizations 
ministering  to  the  needs  of  the  soldier  boys.  In  other 
words,  they  are  filling  that  gap  in  the  army  life  which  they 
have  always  so  well  filled  in  the  civil  life  of  our  people. 

STATE  OF  UTAH 
EXECUTIVE   OFFICE 

Salt  Lake  City,  January  21, 1918. 
"I  have  learned  with  a  great  deal  of  interest  of  the 
splendid  work  being  done  by  the  Salvation  Army  for  the 
moral  uplift  of  the  soldiers,  both  in  the  training  camps 
and  in  the  field.  I  am  very  glad  to  endorse  this  work  and 
to  express  the  hope  that  the  Salvation  Army  may  find  a 
way  to  continue  and  extend  its  work  among  the  soldiers." 

(Signed)  SIMON  BAMBEBG, 
Governor. 

FBOM  A  PBOCLAMATION  BY   GOVEBNOB  BBUMBAUGH. 

To  the  People  of  Pennsylvania : 

I  have  long  since  learned  to  believe  in  the  great,  good 
work  of  the  Salvation  Army  and  have  given  it  my  approval 
and  support  through  the  years.  This  mighty  body  of  con- 
secrated workers  are  like  gleaners  in  the  fields  of  humanity. 
They  seek  and  succor  and  save  those  that  most  need  and 
least  receive  aid. 

Now,  THEBEFOBE,  I,  Martin  G.  Brumbaugh,  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania,  do  cordially 
commend  the  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  and  call  upon 
our  people  to  give  earnest  heed  to  their  call  for  assistance, 
making  liberal  donations  to  their  praiseworthy  work  and 
manifesting  thus  our  continued  and  resolute  purpose  to 
give  our  men  in  arms  unstinted  aid  and  to  support  gladly 

21 


322  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

all  these  noble  and  sacrificing  agencies  that  under  God 
give  hope  and  help  to  our  soldiers. 

GIVEN  under  my  hand  and  the  great 
seal  of  the  State,  at  the  City  of 
Harrisburg,   this  seventh  day   of 
[SEAL]  February,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 

one  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
eighteen,    and    of    the    Common- 
wealth the  one  hundred  and  forty- 
By  the  Governor :  second. 

Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth, 
copy/h 

The  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts, 

Executive  Department, 
State  House,  Boston,  February  15, 1918. 
It  gives  me  pleasure  to  add  my  word  of  approval  to  the 
very  noble  work  that  is  being  done  by  the  Salvation  Army 
for  the  men  now  serving  the  country.  The  Salvation 
Army  has  for  many  years  been  doing  very  valuable  work, 
and  the  extension  of  its  labors  into  the  ranks  of  the  sol- 
diers has  not  lessened  in  any  degree  its  power  of  accom- 
plishment. The  Salvation  Army  can  render  most  efficient 
service.  It  should  be  the  aim  of  every  one  of  us  in  Massa- 
chusetts to  assist  in  every  way  the  work  that  is  being  done 
for  the  soldiers.  We  cannot  do  too  much  of  this  kind  of 
work  for  them — they  deserve  and  need  it  all.  I  urge  every- 
body in  Massachusetts  to  assist  the  Salvation  Army  in 
every  way  possible,  to  the  end  that  Massachusetts  may 
maintain  her  place  in  the  forefront  of  the  States  of  the 
Union  who  are  assisting  the  work  of  the  Army. 

(Signed)  SAMUEL  W.  McCALL, 

Governor. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  323 

PROCLAMATION. 

To  the  People  of  the  State  of  Maryland : 

I  have  been  very  much  impressed  with  the  good  work 
which  is  being  done  in  this  country  by  the  Salvation  Army, 
and  I  am  not  at  all  surprised  at  the  great  work  which  it  is 
doing  at  the  front,  upon  or  near  the  battlefields  of  Europe. 
It  is  doing  not  only  the  same  kind  of  work  being  done  by 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  but  work  in 
fields  decidedly  their  own. 

It  is  now  undertaking  to  raise  $1,000,000  for  the 
National  War  Service  and  it  is  preparing  a  hutment 
equipped  with  libraries,  daily  newspapers,  games,  light  re- 
freshments, etc.,  in  every  camp  in  France. 

Now,  THEREFORE,  I,  Emerson  C.  Harrington,  Gov- 
ernor of  Maryland,  believing  that  the  effect  and  purposes 
for  which  the  Salvation  Army  is  asking  this  money,  are 
deserving  of  our  warmest  support,  do  hereby  call  upon  the 
people  of  Maryland  to  respond  as  liberally  as  they  can  in 
this  war  drive  being  made  by  the  Salvation  Army  to  enable 
them  more  efficiently  to  render  service  which  is  so  much 
needed. 

IN  TESTIMONY  WHEREOF,  I  have  here- 
unto set  my  hand  and  caused  to 
be  hereto  affixed  the  Great  Seal 
of  Maryland  at  Annapolis,  Mary- 
land, this  fourteenth  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, in  the  year  one  thousand 
(The  Great  Seal  nine  hundred  and  eighteen. 

of  the  State  of 

Maryland)  EMEESON  C.  HARRINGTON. 

By  the  Governor, 

THOS.  W.  SIMMONS,  Secretary  of  State. 


3S4  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"The  Salvation  Army  is  peculiarly  equipped  for  this 
kind  of  service.  I  have  watched  the  career  of  this  organ- 
ization for  many  years,  and  I  know  its  leaders  to  be  devoted 
and  capable  men  and  women. 

"  Of  course,  any  agency  which  can  in  any  way  ameliorate 
the  condition  of  the  boys  at  the  front  should  receive 
encouragement." 

(Signed)  FBANK  C.  LOWDEN, 
Governor  of  Illinois/ 

"  I  join  with  thousands  of  my  fellow  citizens  in  having  a 
great  admiration  for  the  splendid  work  which  has  already 
been  accomplished  by  the  Salvation  Army  in  the  allevia- 
tion of  suffering,  the  spiritual  uplift  of  the  masses,  and  its 
substantial  and  prayerful  ministrations. 

"  The  Salvation  Army  does  its  work  quietly,  carefully, 
persistently  and  effectively.  Our  patriotic  citizenry  will 
quickly  place  the  stamp  of  approval  upon  the  great  work 
being  done  by  the  Salvation  Army  among  the  private  sol- 
diers at  home  and  abroad." 

(Signed)  Governor  BBOUGH  of  Arkansas. 

Lansing,  Michigan,  June  13,  1918. 
To  WHOM  IT  MAT  CONCERN  : 

Among  the  various  organizations  doing  war  work  in 
connection  with  the  American  Army,  none  are  found  more 
worthy  of  support  than  the  Salvation  Army. 

Entering  into  its  work  with  the  whole-hearted  zeal 
which  has  characterized  its  movement  in  times  of  peace,  it 
has  won  the  highest  praise  of  both  officers  and  soldiers  alike. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  325 

It  is  an  essential  pleasure  to  commend  the  work  of  the 
Salvation  Army  to  the  people  of  Michigan  with  the  urgent 
request  that  its  war  activities  be  given  your  generous 
support. 

ALBERT  E.  SLEEPER, 
Governor  of  the  State  of  Michigan. 

MABK  E.  McKEE, 
Secretary,  Counties  Division,  Michigan  War  Board. 


STATE  OF  KANSAS 

ARTHUR  CAPPER,  GOVERNOR, 

TOPEKA 

August  8,  1917. 

I  have  been  greatly  pleased  with  the  war  activities  of 
the  Salvation  Army  and  want  to  express  my  appreciation 
of  the  splendid  service  rendered  by  that  organization  on 
the  battlefield  of  Europe  ever  since  the  war  began.  It  is 
a  most  commendable  and  a  most  patriotic  thing  to  do  and 
I  hope  the  people  of  Kansas  will  give  the  enterprise  their 
generous  support. 

Very  respectfully, 
(Signed)  ARTHUR  CAPPER,  Governor. 

"  Best  wishes  for  the  success  of  your  work.  As  the  Sal- 
vation Army  has  done  so  much  good  in  time  of  peace,  it 
has  multiplied  opportunities  to  do  good  in  the  horrors  of 
war,  if  given  the  necessary  means." 

(Signed)  MILES  POINDEXTER, 
Senator  from  Washington. 


3«6  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF, 

HOUSE  OF  BEPKESENTATIVES 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

January  8,  1918. 

Colonel  Adam  Gilford,  Salvation  Army, 
8  East  Brookline  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

MY  DEAR  COLONEL  GIFFOED: 

I  desire  to  write  you  in  highest  commendation  of  the 
work  the  Salvation  Army  is  doing  in  France.  During  last 
November  I  was  behind  the  French  and  English  fronts, 
and  unless  one  has  been  there  they  cannot  realize  the  assist- 
ance to  spirit  and  courage  given  to  the  soldiers  by  the 
"  hut "  service  of  the  Salvation  Army. 

The  only  particular  in  which  the  Salvation  Army  fell 
short  was  that  there  were  not  sufficient  huts  for  the  de- 
mands of  the  troops.  The  huts  I  saw  were  crowded  and 
not  commodious. 

Behind  the  British  front  I  heard  several  officers  state 
that  the  service  of  the  Salvation  Army  was  somewhat  dif- 
ferent from  other  services  of  the  same  kind,  but  most 
effective. 

With  kindest  regards,  I  remain, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

(Signed)  GEOEGE  HOLDEN  TINKHAM, 

Congressman. 


This  Condolence  Card  conveyed  the  sympathy  of  the 
Commander  to  the  friends  of  the  fallen.  Forethought  had 
prepared  this  some  time  before  the  first  American  had  made 
the  supreme  sacrifice. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY 


GREATER  LOVE  HATH  NO  MAN  THAN  THIS.  THAT 


122  #.  14th  StntL  Ntw  York 
dear  Friend: 

I  must  on  behalf  of  The  Salvation  Army,  take  this  oppor- 
tunity to  say  how  deeply  and  truly  JDC  share  your  grief  at  this 
lime  of  your  bereavement  It  will  be  hard  for  you  to  under- 
stand how  anything  can  soothe  the  pain  made  by  your  great 
loss,  but  let  me  point  you  to  the  one  Jesus  Christ,  who  ac- 
quainted Himself  with  all  our  griefs  so  that  He  might  heal 
the  heart's  wounds  made  by  our  sorrows  and  whose  love  for 
us  n>os  so  vast  that  He  bled  and  died  to  save  us. 

It  may  be  some  solace  to  think  that  your  loved  one 
poured  out  his  life  in  a  War  in  which  high  and  holy  principles 
are  involved,  and  also  that  he  was  quick  to  answer  the  call 
for  men. 

(Believe  me  nhen  I  say  that  we  are  pray- 
ing and  9ill  pray  for  you. 

Yours  in  sympathy, 


"  COMMANDEE  EvANGELINE  BOOTH  : 

"  The  comfort  and  solace  contained  in  the  beautiful  card 
of  sympathy  I  recently  received  from  you  is  more  than  you 
can  ever  know.  With  all  my  heart  I  am  very  grateful  to 
you  and  can  only  assure  you  feebly  of  my  deep  appreciation. 

"It  has  made  me  realize  more  than  ever  before  the 
fundamental  principles  of  Christianity  upon  which  your 
Army  is  built  and  organized,  for  how  truly  does  it  comfort 
the  widow  and  fatherless  in  their  affliction. 

"  Tucked  away  as  my  two  babies  and  I  are  in  a  tiny 
Wisconsin  town,  we  felt  that  our  grief,  while  shared  in  by 
our  good  friends,  was  just  a  passing  emotion  to  the  rest  of 
the  world.  But  when  a  card  such  as  yours  comes,  extend- 
ing a  heart  of  sympathy  and  prayer  and  ferrets  us  out  in 
our  sorrow  in  our  little  town,  you  must  know  how  much 


328  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

less  lonely  we  are  because  of  it.  It  surely  shows  us  that  a 
sacrifice  such  as  my  dear  husband  made  is  acknowledged 
and  lauded  by  the  entire  world. 

"  I  am,  oh  !  so  proud  of  him,  so  comforted  to  know  I  was 
wife  to  a  man  so  imbued  with  the  principles  of  right  and 
justice  that  he  counted  no  sacrifice,  not  even  his  life,  too 
great  to  offer  in  the  cause.  Not  for  anything  would  I  ask 
him  back  or  rob  him  of  the  glory  of  such  a  death.  Yet  our 
little  home  is  sad  indeed,  with  its  light  and  life  taken  away. 

"  The  good  you  have  done  before  and  during  the  war  must 
be  a  very  great  source  of  gratification  for  you,  and  I  trust 
you  may  be  spared  for  many  years  to  stretch  out  your 
helping  hand  to  the  sorrowing  and  make  us  better  for  hav- 
ing known  you.  With  deepegt 


"  COMMANDEE  EVANGELINE  BOOTH  : 

"  I  have  just  seen  your  picture  in  the  November  Pictorial 
Review  and  I  do  so  greatly  admire  your  splendid  character 
and  the  great  work  you  are  doing. 

"  I  want  to  thank  you  for  the  message  of  Christian  love 
and  sympathy  you  sent  to  me  upon  the  death  of  my  son  in 
July,  aeroplane  accident  in  England. 

"  Without  the  Christian's  faith  and  the  blessed  hope  of 
the  Gospel  we  would  despair  indeed.  A  long  time  ago  I 
learned  to  pray  Thy  will  be  done  for  my  son  —  and  I  have 
tested  the  promises  and  I  have  found  them  true. 

"  May  the  Lord  bless  you  abundantly  in  your  own  heart 
and  in  your  world  wide  influence  and  the  splendid  Salva- 
tion Army." 

"  DEAB  FRIENDS  : 

"  Words  fall  far  short  in  expressing  our  deep  apprecia- 
tion of  your  comforting  words  of  condolence  and  sym- 
pathy. Will  you  accept  as  a  small  token  of  love  the  enclosed 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  329 

appreciation  written  by  Professor of  the  Oberlin 

College,  and  a  quotation  from  a  letter  written  August  25th 
by  our  soldier  boy,  and  found  among  his  effects  to  be  opened 
only  in  case  of  his  death,  and  forwarded  to  his  mother? 
I  am  Yours  truly," 

Enclosure : 

"  November  16,  1918. 

"  If  by  any  chance  this  letter  should  be  given  to  you,  as 
something  coming  directly  from  my  heart;  you,  who  are 
my  mother,  need  have  no  fear  or  regret  for  the  personality 
destined  not  to  come  back  to  you. 

"  A  mother  and  father  whose  noble  ideals  they  firmly 
fixed  in  two  sons  should  rather  experience  a  deep  sense  of 
pride  that  the  young  chap  of  nearly  twenty-one  years  does 
not  come  back  to  them ;  for,  though  he  was  fond  of  living, 
he  was  also  prepared  to  die  with  a  faith  as  sound  and  stead- 
fast as  that  of  the  little  children  whom  the  Master  took  in 
His  arms. 

"  And  more  than  that,  the  body  you  gave  to  me  so  sweet 
and  pure  and  strong,  though  misused  at  times,  has  been 
returned  to  God  as  pure  and  undefiled  as  when  you  gave  it 
to  me.  I  think  there  is  nothing  that  should  please  you 
more  than  that. 

"  In  My  Father's  House  are  many  mansions, 
I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you ; 
If  it  were  not  so,  I  would  have  told  you. 

"Your  Baby  boy," 

Chatereaux,  France.  (Signed)  PAUL. 

August,  1918. 

N.  B. — Written  on  back  of  the  envelope : 
"  To  be  opened  only  in  case  of  accident." 


330  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"  COMMANDER  EVANGELINE  BOOTH  : 

"Permit  me  to  express  through  you  my  deep  appreciation 
of  the  consoling  message  from  the  Salvation  Army  on  the 
loss  of  my  brother,  Clement,  in  France.  I  am  indeed  grate- 
ful for  this  last  thought  from  an  organization  which  did 
so  much  to  meet  his  living  needs  and  to  lessen  the  hard- 
ships of  his  service  in  France.  I  shall  always  feel  a  per- 
sonal debt  to  those  of  you  who  seemed  so  near  to  him  at 
the  end." 

"Miss  EYANGELINE  BOOTH: 

"  I  was  greatly  touched  by  the  card  of  sympathy  sent  me 
in  your  name  on  the  occasion  of  my  great  sorrow — and  my 
equally  great  glory.  The  death  of  a  husband  for  the  great 
cause  of  humanity  is  a  martyrdom  that  any  soldier's  wife, 
even  in  her  deep  grief,  is  proud  to  share. 

"  Thanking  you  for  your  helpful  message," 

"MlSS   EVANGELINE  BOOTH: 

"  Of  the  many  cards  of  condolence  received  by  our  family 
upon  the  death  of  my  dear  brother,  none  touched  us  more 
deeply  than  the  one  sent  by  you. 

"  We  do  indeed  appreciate  your  thoughtfulness  in  send- 
ing words  of  comfort  to  people  who  are  utter  strangers 
to  you. 

"Accept  again,  the  gratitude  of  my  parents  as  well  as  the 
other  members  of  our  family,  including  myself. 

"May  our  Heavenly  Father  bless  you  all  and  glorify 
your  good  works." 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  331 

Miss  Evangeline  Booth, 

Commander  of  the  Salvation  Army,  New  York  City, 

N.  Y. 
DEAE  Miss  BOOTH  : 

I  beg  of  you  to  pardon  me  for  writing  you  this  letter, 
but  I  feel  that  I  must.  On  the  17th  day  of  March  I 
received  a  letter  from  my  boy  in  France,  and  it  reads  as 
follows : 

"  Somewhere  in  France,  Jan.  15,  1918. 
"  MY  DEAE  MOTHER  : 

"  I  must  write  you  a  few  lines  to  tell  you  that  you  must 
not  worry  about  me  even  though  it  is  some  time  since  I 
wrote  you.  We  don't  have  much  time  to  ourselves  out  here. 
I  have  just  come  out  of  the  trenches,  and  now  it  is  mud, 
mud,  mud,  up  to  one's  knees.  I  often  think  of  the  fireplace 
at  home  these  cold  nights,  but,  mother,  I  must  tell  you 
that  I  don't  know  what  we  boys  would  do  if  it  was  not  for 
the  Salvation  Army.  The  women,  they  are  just  like  mothers 
to  the  boys.  God  help  the  ones  that  say  anything  but  good 
about  the  Army !  Those  women  certainly  have  courage,  to 
come  right  out  in  the  trenches  with  coffee  and  cocoa,  etc., 
and  they  are  so  kind  and  good.  Mother,  I  want  you  to 
write  to  Miss  Booth  and  thank  her  for  me  for  her  splendid 
work  out  here.  When  I  come  home  I  shall  exchange  the 
U.  S.  uniform  for  the  S.  A.  uniform,  and  I  know,  ma, 
that  you  will  not  object.  Well,  the  Germans  have  been 
raining  shells  to-day,  but  we  were  unharmed.  I  passed 
by  an  old  shack  of  a  building — a  poor  woman  sat  there 
with  a  baby,  lulling  it  to  sleep,  when  a  shell  came  down  and 
the  poor  souls  had  passed  from  this  earthly  hell  to  their 
heavenly  reward.  Only  God  knows  the  conditions  out  here ; 


332  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

it  is  horrible.    Well,  I  must  close  now,  and  don't  worry, 
mother,  I  will  be  home  some  day. 

"  Your  loving  son," 

Well,  Miss  Booth,  I  got  word  three  weeks  ago  that 
Joseph  had  been  killed  in  action.  I  am  heart-broken,  but 
I  suppose  it  was  God's  will.  Poor  boy !  He  has  his  uni- 
form exchanged  for  a  white  robe.  I  am  all  alone  now,  as  he 
was  my  only  boy  and  only  child.  Again  I  beg  of  you  to 
pardon  me  for  sending  you  this  letter. 

December  10,  1917. 

Commander  Evangeline  C.  Booth,  New  York  City. 
MY  DEAR  COMMANDER  : 

I  have  just  read  in  the  New  York  papers  of  your  pur- 
pose and  plan  to  raise  a  million  dollars  for  your  Salvation 
Army  work  carried  on  in  the  interests  of  the  soldiers  at 
home  and  abroad,  and  I  cannot  refrain  from  writing  to 
you  to  express  my  deep  interest,  and  also  the  hope  that  you 
may  be  successful  in  raising  this  fund,  because  I  know  that 
it  will  be  so  well  administered. 

From  all  that  I  have  heard  of  the  Salvation  Army 
work  in  connection  with  the  soldiers  carried  on  under  your 
direction,  I  think  it  is  simply  wonderful,  and  if  there  is 
any  service  that  I  can  render  you  or  the  Army,  I  should 
be  exceedingly  pleased. 

I  have  read  "  Souls  in  Khaki,"  and  I  wish  that  every- 
one might  read  it,  for  could  they  do  so,  your  million-dollar 
fund  would  be  easily  raised. 

With  ever-increasing  interest  in  the  Salvation  Army, 
I  am,  Cordially  yours, 

(Signed)  J.  WILBUR  CHAPMAN". 

Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  TJ.  S.  A. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  333 

SALVATION  ARMY  IS  THE  MOST  POPULAR  ORGANIZATION 
IN  FRANCE. 

Raymond  B.  Fosdick,  chairman  of  the  War  Recreation 
Commission,  on  his  return  from  a  tour  of  investigation  into 
activities  of  the  relief  organizations  in  France,  gave  out 
the  following : 

"  Somewhat  to  my  surprise  I  found  the  Salvation  Army 
probably  the  most  popular  organization  in  France  with 
the  troops.  It  has  not  undertaken  the  comprehensive  pro- 
gram which  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  laid  out  for  itself;  that 
is,  it  is  operating  in  three  or  four  divisions,  while  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  is  aiming  to  cover  every  unit  of  troops. 

"  But  its  simple,  homely,  unadorned  service  seems  to  have 
touched  the  hearts  of  our  men.  The  aim  of  the  organiza- 
tion is,  if  possible,  to  put  a  worker  and  his  wife  in  a  canteen 
or  a  centre.  The  women  spend  their  time  making  dough- 
nuts and  pies,  and  sew  on  buttons.  The  men  make  them- 
selves generally  useful  in  any  way  which  their  service 
can  be  applied. 

"I  saw  such  placed  in  dugouts  way  up  at  the  front, 
where  the  German  shells  screamed  over  our  heads  with  a 
sound  not  unlike  a  freight  train  crossing  a  bridge.  Down 
in  their  dugouts  the  Salvation  Army  folks  imperturbably 
handed  out  doughnuts  and  dished  out  the  '  drink.' " 

WAR  DEPARTMENT 
COMMISSION  ON  TRAINING  CAMP  ACTIVITIES, WASHINGTON 

45,  Avenue  Montaigne,  Paris. 

Commander  Evangeline  Booth,  Apr.  8,  1919. 

Salvation  Army,  New  York  City. 

MY  DEAR  COMMANDER  BOOTH  : 

The  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  with  the  armed  forces 
of  the  United  States  does  not  need  any  word  of  commen- 


334  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

dation  from  me.  Perhaps  I  may  be  permitted  to  say,  how- 
ever, that  as  a  representative  of  the  War  and  Navy  Depart- 
ments I  have  been  closely  in  touch  with  it  from  its  inception, 
both  in  Europe  and  in  the  United  States.  I  do  not  believe 
there  is  a  doughboy  anywhere  who  does  not  speak  of  it  with 
enthusiasm  and  affection.  Its  remarkable  success  has  been 
due  solely  to  the  unselfish  spirit  of  service  which  has  under- 
lain it.  Nothing  has  been  too  humble  or  too  lowly  for  the 
Salvation  Army  representative  to  do  for  the  soldier.  With- 
out ostentation,  without  advertising,  without  any  emphasis 
upon  auspices  or  organization,  your  people  have  met  the 
men  of  the  Army  as  friends  and  companions-in-arms,  and 
the  soldiers,  particularly  those  of  the  American  Expedition- 
ary Force,  will  never  forget  what  you  have  done. 
Faithfully  yours, 

(Signed)  KAYMONDB.  FOSDICE. 

From  Honorable  Arthur  Stanley, 
Chairman  British  Eed  Cross  Society. 

BRITISH:  EED  CROSS  SOCIETY 
JOINT  WAR  COMMITTEE 

83  Pall  Mall,  London,  S.  W., 

December  22,  1917. 
General  Bramwell  Booth. 
DEAR  GENERAL  BOOTH  : 

I  enclose  formal  receipt  for  the  cheque,  value  £2000, 
which  was  handed  to  me  by  your  representative.  I  note 
that  it  is  a  contribution  from  the  Salvation  Army  to  the 
Joint  Funds  to  provide  a  new  Salvation  Army  Motor  Am- 
bulance Unit  on  the  same  conditions  as  before. 

I  cannot  sufficiently  thank  you  and  the  Salvation  Army 
for  this  very  generous  donation. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  335 

I  am  indeed  glad  to  know  that  you  are  providing  an- 
other twenty  drivers  for  service  with  our  Ambulance  Fleet 
in  France.  This  is  most  welcome  news,  as  whenever  Sal- 
vation Army  men  are  helping  we  hear  nothing  but  good 
reports  of  their  work.  Sir  Ernest  Clarke  tells  me  that  your 
Ambulance  Sections  are  quite  the  best  of  any  in  our  ser- 
vice, and  the  more  Salvation  Army  men  you  can  send  him, 
the  better  he  will  be  pleased.  I  would  again  take  this 
opportunity  of  congratulating  you,  which  I  do  with  all 
my  heart,  upon  the  splendid  record  of  your  Army. 

Yours  sincerely, 

(Signed)  AETHUB  STANXEY. 

Extract  from  Judge  Ben  Lindsey's  picture  of  the  Sal- 
vation Army  at  the  Front : 

"  A  good  expression  for  American  enthusiasm  is : '  I  am 
crazy  about ' — this,  or  that,  or  the  other  thing  that  excites 
our  admiration.  Well,  'I  am  crazy  about  the  Salvation 
Army' — the  Salvation  Army  as  I  saw  it  and  mingled 
with  it  and  the  doughboys  in  the  trenches.  And  when  I 
happened  to  be  passing  through  Chicago  to-day  and  saw  an 
appeal  in  the  Tribune  for  the  Salvation  Army,  I  remem- 
bered what  our  boys  so  often  shouted  out  to  me  as  I  passed 
them  in  the  trenches  and  back  of  the  lines :  '  Judge,  when 
you  get  back  home  tell  the  folks  not  to  forget  the  Salvation 
Army.  They're  the  real  thing/ 

"  And  I  know  they  are  the  real  thing.  I  have  shared 
with  the  boys  the  doughnuts  and  chocolate  and  coffee  that 
seemed  to  be  so  much  better  than  any  other  doughnuts  or 
coffee  or  chocolate  I  have  ever  tasted  before.  And  when  it 
seemed  so  wonderful  to  me  after  just  a  mild  sort  of  experi- 
ence down  a  shell-swept  road,  through  the  damp  and  cold  of 


336  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

a  French  winter  day,  what  must  it  be  to  those  boys  after 
trench  raids  or  red-hot  scraps  down  rain-soaked  trenches 
under  the  wet  mists  of  No  Man's  Land?  .  .  .  Listen 
to  some  of  the  stories  the  boys  told  me :  '  You  see,  Judge, 
the  good  old  Salvation  Army  is  the  real  thing.  They 
don't  put  on  no  airs.  There  ain't  no  flub-dub  about  them 
and  you  don't  see  their  mugs  in  the  fancy  magazines  much. 
Why,  you  never  would  see  one  of  them  in  Paris  around  the 
hotels.  You'd  never  know  they  existed,  Judge,  unless  you 
came  right  up  here  to  the  front  lines  as  near  as  the  Colonel 
will  let  you ! ' 

"And  one  enthusiastic  urchin  said :  '  Why,  Judge,  after 
the  battle  yesterday,  we  couldn't  get  those  women  out  of 
the  village  till  they'd  seen  every  fellow  had  at  least  a  dozen 
fried  cakes  and  all  the  coffee  or  chocolate  he  could  pile  in. 
We  just  had  to  drag  'em  out — for  the  boys  lore  'em  too 
much  to  lose  'em — we  weren't  going  to  take  no  chances — 
not  much — for  our  Salvation  ladies ! ' " 

HARRY  LATTDER'S  ENDORSEMENT. 

In  speaking  of  the  Salvation  Army's  work  before  the 
Rotary  Club  of  San  Francisco,  Harry  Lauder  said : 

"  There  is  no  organization  in  Europe  doing  more  for  the 
troops  than  the  Salvation  Army,  and  the  devotion  of  its 
officers  has  caused  the  Salvation  Army  to  be  revered  by 
the  soldiers." 

Mr.  Otto  Kahn,  one  of  America's  most  prominent 
bankers,  upon  his  return  to  this  country  after  a  tour 
through  the  American  lines  in  France,  writes,  among 
other  things  : 

"  I  should  particularly  consider  myself  remiss  if  I  did 
not  refer  with  sincere  admiration  to  the  devoted,  sympa- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  337 

thetic,  and  most  efficient  work  of  the  Salvation  Army, 
which,  though  limited  in  its  activities  to  a  few  sectors  only, 
has  won  the  warm  and  affectionate  regard  of  those  of  our 
troops  with  whom  it  has  been  in  contact." 

Mr.  David  Lawrence,  special  Washington  correspond- 
ent of  the  New  York  Evening  Post  and  other  influential 
papers,  in  an  article  in  which  he  comments  on  the  work  of 
all  the  relief  agencies,  says  of  the  Salvation  Army  in 
France : 

"  Curiously  enough  the  Salvation  Army  is  spoken  of  in 
all  official  reports  as  the  organization  most  popular  with 
the  troops.  Its  organization  is  the  smallest  of  all  four. 
Its  service  is  simple  and  unadorned.  It  specializes  on 
doughnuts  and  pie,  which  it  gives  away  free  whenever  the 
ingredients  of  the  manufacture  of  those  articles  are  at  hand. 

"  The  policy  of  the  organization  is  to  place  a  worker  and 
his  wife,  if  possible,  with  a  unit  of  troops.  The  woman 
makes  doughnuts  and  sews  on  buttons,  while  the  man  helps 
the  soldiers  in  any  way  he  can. 

"  The  success  of  the  Salvation  Army  is  attributed  by 
commanding  officers  to  the  fact  that  the  workers  know 
how  to  mix  naturally.  In  other  cases  there  had  been 
sometimes  an  air  of  condescension  not  unlike  that  of  the 
professional  settlement  house  worker." 

In  a  recent  issue  of  the  Saturday  Evening  Post,  Mr. 
Irvin  Cobb,  who  has  just  returned  from  France,  has  this 
to  say  of  the  Salvation  Army : 

"  Eight  here  seems  a  good-enough  place  for  me  to  slip 
in  a  few  words  of  approbation  for  the  work  which  another 
organization  has  accomplished  in  France  since  we  put  our 
men  into  the  field.  Nobody  asked  me  to  speak  in  its  favoi 

22 


838  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

because,  so  far  as  I  can  find  out,  it  has  no  publicity  depart- 
ment. I  am  referring  to  the  Salvation  Army.  May  it  live 
forever  for  the  service  which,  without  price  and  without 
any  boasting  on  the  part  of  its  personnel,  it  is  rendering 
to  our  boys  in  France ! 

"A  good  many  of  us  who  hadn't  enough  religion,  and  a 
good  many  more  of  us  who,  mayhap,  had  too  much  religion, 
looked  rather  contemptuously  upon  the  methods  of  the  Sal- 
vationists. Some  have  gone  so  far  as  to  intimate  that  the 
Salvation  Army  was  vulgar  in  its  methods  and  lacking  in 
dignity  and  even  in  reverence.  Some  have  intimated  that 
converting  a  sinner  to  the  tap  of  a  bass  drum  or  the  tinkle 
of  a  tambourine  was  an  improper  process  altogether.  Never 
again,  though,  shall  I  hear  the  blare  of  the  cornet  as  it  cuts 
into  the  chorus  of  hallelujah  whoops,  where  a  ring  of  blue- 
bonneted  women  and  blue-capped  men  stand  exhorting  on 
a  city  street-corner  under  the  gaslights,  without  recalling 
what  some  of  their  enrolled  brethren — and  sisters — have 
done,  and  are  doing,  in  Europe ! 

"  The  American  Salvation  Army  in  France  is  small,  but, 
believe  me,  it  is  powerfully  busy !  Its  war  delegation  came 
over  without  any  fanfare  of  the  trumpets  of  publicity.  It 
has  no  paid  press  agents  here  and  no  impressive  headquar- 
ters. There  are  no  well-known  names,  other  than  the 
names  of  its  executive  heads,  on  its  rosters  or  on  its 
advisory  boards.  None  of  its  members  are  housed  at  an 
expensive  hotel  and  none  of  them  have  handsome  auto- 
mobiles in  which  to  travel  about  from  place  to  place. 
No  campaigns  to  raise  nation-wide  millions  of  dollars  for 
the  cost  of  its  ministrations  overseas  were  ever  held  at 
home.  I  imagine  it  is  the  pennies  of  the  poor  that  mainly 
fill  its  war  chest.  I  imagine,  too,  that  sometimes  its  finan- 
ces are  an  uncertain  quantity.  Incidentally,  I  am  assured 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  339 

that  not  one  of  its  male  workers  here  is  of  draft  age  unless 
he  holds  exemption  papers  to  prove  his  physical  unfitnesa 
for  military  service.  The  Salvationists  are  taking  care  to 
purge  themselves  of  any  suspicion  that  potential  slackers 
have  joined  their  ranks  in  order  to  avoid  the  possibility  of 
having  to  perform  duties  in  khaki. 

"Among  officers,  as  well  as  among  enlisted  men,  one  occa- 
sionally hears  criticism — which  may  or  may  not  be  based 
on  a  fair  judgment — for  certain  branches  of  certain  activi- 
ties of  certain  organizations.  But  I  have  yet  to  meet  any 
soldier,  whether  a  brigadier  or  a  private,  who,  if  he  spoke 
at  all  of  the  Salvation  Army,  did  not  speak  in  terms  of 
fervent  gratitude  for  the  aid  that  the  Salvationists  are  ren- 
dering so  unostentatiously  and  yet  so  very  effectively.  Let 
a  sizable  body  of  troops  move  from  one  station  to  another, 
and  hard  on  its  heels  there  came  a  squad  of  men  and  women 
of  the  Salvation  Army.  An  army  truck  may  bring  them, 
or  it  may  be  they  have  a  battered  jitney  to  move  them  and 
their  scanty  outfits.  Usually  they  do  not  ask  for  help  from 
anyone  in  reaching  their  destinations.  They  find  lodgment 
in  a  wrecked  shell  of  a  house  or  in  the  corner  of  a  barn. 
By  main  force  and  awkwardness  they  set  up  their  equipment, 
and  very  soon  the  word  has  spread  among  the  troops  that 
at  such  and  such  a  place  the  Salvation  Army  is  serving 
free  hot  drinks  and  free  doughnuts  and  free  pies.  It  spe- 
cializes in  doughnuts — the  Salvation  Army  in  the  field  does 
— the  real  old-fashioned  home-made  ones  that  taste  of  home 
to  a  homesick  soldier  boy ! 

"  I  did  not  see  this,  but  one  of  my  associates  did.  He  saw 
it  last  winter  in  a  dismal  place  on  the  Toul  sector.  A  file 
of  our  troops  were  finishing  a  long  hike  through  rain  and 
snow  over  roads  knee-deep  in  half-thawed  icy  slush.  Cold 
and  wet  and  miserable  they  came  tramping  into  a  cheerless, 


340  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

half-empty  town  within  sound  and  range  of  the  German 
guns.  They  found  a  reception  committee  awaiting  them 
there — in  the  person  of  two  Salvation  Army  lassies  and  a 
Salvation  Army  Captain.  The  women  had  a  fire  going  in 
the  dilapidated  oven  of  a  vanished  villager's  kitchen.  One 
of  them  was  rolling  out  the  batter  on  a  plank,  with  an  old 
wine-bottle  for  a  rolling  pin,  and  using  the  top  of  a  tin  can 
to  cut  the  dough  into  circular  strips ;  the  other  woman  was 
cooking  the  doughnuts,  and  as  fast  as  they  were  cooked  the 
man  served  them  out,  spitting  hot,  to  hungry,  wet  boys 
clamoring  about  the  door,  and  nobody  was  asked  to  pay  a 
cent! 

"At  the  risk  of  giving  mortal  affront  to  ultradoctrinal 
practitioners  of  applied  theology,  I  am  firmly  committed  to 
the  belief  that  by  the  grace  and  the  grease  of  those  dough- 
nuts those  three  humble  benefactors  that  day  strengthened 
their  right  to  a  place  in  the  Heavenly  Kingdom." 

MY  DEAB  COLONEL  JENKINS  : 

I  take  pleasure  in  sending  you  a  copy  of  my  report 
as  Commissioner  to  France,  in  which  I  made  reference 
to  the  work  of  the  Salvation  Army  with  our  American 
Expeditionary  Forces. 

I  cannot  recall  ever  hearing  the  slightest  criticism  of 
the  work  of  the  Salvation  Army,  but  I  heard  many  words 
of  enthusiastic  appreciation  on  the  part  not  only  of  the 
Generals  and  officers  but  of  the  soldiers. 

I  saw  many  evidences  showing  that  the  unselfish, 
sometimes  reckless,  abandon  of  your  workers  had  a  great 
effect  upon  our  men. 

I  am  sure  that  the  Salvation  Army  also  stands  in  high 
respect  for  its  religious  influence  upon  the  men. 

It  was  pleasant  still  further  to  hear  such  words  of  ap- 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  341 

preciation  as  I  did  from  General  Duncan  regarding  the 
work  of  Chaplain  Allan,  the  divisional  chaplain  of  Gen- 
eral Duncan's  unit.  He  has  evidently  risen  to  his  work 
in  a  splendid  way.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  have  this  oppor- 
tunity of  rendering  this  testimony  to  you. 
Faithfully  yours, 

CHARLES  S.  MACFARLAND, 
General  Secretary. 

'The  New  York  Globe  printed  the  following: 

HUNS  DON'T  STOP  SALVATION  ABMY.    MEETING  HELD  IN 

DEEP  DUGOUT  UNDER  RUINED  VILLAGE — MANDOLIN 

SUPPLANTS  THE  ORGAN. 

By  Herbert  Corey. 

JUST  BEHIND  THE  SOMME  FRONT,  May  31. — Some- 
where in  the  tangle  of  smashed  walls  there  was  a  steely 
jingle.  At  first  the  sound  was  hard  to  identify,  so  odd  are 
acoustics  in  this  which  was  once  a  little  town.  There  were 
stub  ends  of  walls  here  and  there — bare,  raw  snags  of  walls 
sticking  up — and  now  and  then  a  rooftree  tilted  patheti- 
cally against  a  ruin,  or  a  pile  of  dusty  masonry  that  had 
been  a  house.  A  little  path  ran  through  this  tangle,  and 
under  an  arched  gateway  that  by  a  miracle  remained  stand- 
ing and  down  the  steps  of  a  dugout.  The  jingling  sound 
became  recognizable.  Some  one  was  trying  to  play  on  a 
mandolin : 

"  Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul." 

It  was  grotesque  and  laughable.  The  grand  old  hymn 
refused  its  cadences  to  this  instrument  of  a  tune-loving 
bourgeoise.  It  seemed  to  stand  aloof  and  unconquered. 
This  is  a  hymn  for  the  swelling  notes  of  an  organ  or  for  the 
great  harmonies  of  a  choir.  It  was  not  made  to  be  debased 


342  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

by  association  with  this  caterwauling  wood  and  wire,  this 
sounding  board  for  barbershop  chords,  this  accomplice  of 
sick  lovers  leaning  on  village  fences.  Then  there  came  a 
voice : 

"  By  gollies,  brother,  you're  getting  it !  I  actually  be- 
lieve you're  getting  it,  brother.  We'll  have  a  swell  meeting 
to-night." 

I  went  down  the  steps  into  the  Salvation  Army  man's 
dugout.  A  large  soldier,  cigarette  depending  from  his 
lower  lip,  unshaven,  tin  hat  tipped  on  the  back  of  his  head, 
was  picking  away  at  the  wires  of  the  mandolin  with  fingers 
that  seemed  as  thick  and  yellow  as  ears  of  corn.  As  I  came 
in  he  stated  profanely,  that  these  dam'  things  were  not 
made  to  pick  out  condemn'  hymn  tunes  on.  The  Salvation 
Army  man  encouraged  him : 

"  You  keep  on,  brother,"  said  he,  "  and  we'll  have  a  fine 
meeting  for  the  Brigadier  when  he  comes  in  to-night." 

TAKING  HIS  CHANCES. 

Another  boy  was  sitting  there,  his  head  rather  low.  The 
mandolin  player  indicated  him  with  a  jerk.  "  He  got  all 
roughed  up  last  night,"  said  he.  "  We  found  a  bottle  of 
gome  sweet  stuff  these  Progs  left  in  the  house  where  we're 
billeted.  Tasted  a  good  deal  like  syrup.  But  it  sure  put 
BuU  out." 

Bull  turned  a  pair  of  inflamed  eyes  on  the  musician. 

"  You  keep  on  a-talkin',  and  I'll  hang  somep'n  on  your 
eye,"  said  Bull,  hoarsely. 

Then  he  replaced  his  head  in  his  hands.  The  Salva- 
tion Army  man  laughed  at  the  interlude  and  then  returned 
to  the  player. 

"  See,"  said  he,  "  it  goes  like  this "  He  hummed 

the  wonderful  old  hymn. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  343 

The  floor  of  the  dugout  was  covered  with  straw.  The 
stairs  which  led  to  it  were  wide,  so  that  at  certain  hours  the 
sun  shone  in  and  dried  out  the  walls.  There  were  few  slugs 
crawling  slimily  on  the  walls  of  the  Salvation  Army's 
place.  Eats  were  there,  of  course,  and  bugs  of  sorts,  but 
few  slugs.  On  the  whole  it  was  considered  a  good  dugout, 
because  of  these  things.  The  roof  was  not  a  strong  one,  it 
seemed  to  me.  A  77-shell  would  go  through  it  like  a  knife 
through  cheese.  I  said  so  to  the  Salvation  Army  man. 

"  Aw,  brother,"  said  he.  "  We've  got  to  take  our  chances 
along  with  the  rest." 

At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  was  a  table  on  which  were  the 
few  things  the  Salvation  Army  man  had  to  sell,  up  here 
under  the  guns.  There  were  some  figs  and  a  handful  of 
black  licorice  drops  and  a  few  nuts.  Boys  kept  coming  in 
and  demanding  cookies.  Cookies  there  were  none,  but 
there  was  hope  ahead.  If  the  Brigadier  managed  to  get  in 
to-night  with  the  fliv,  there  might  be  cookies. 

NO  MONEY,  BUT  GOOD  CHEBB. 

"Just  our  luck,"  said  some  morose  doughboy,  "if  a 
shell  hit  the  fliv.  It's  a  hell  of  a  road " 

"No  shell  has  hit  it  yet,  brother,"  said  the  Salvation 
Army  man,  cheerily. 

Fifteen  dollars  would  have  bought  everything  he  had 
in  stock.  One  could  have  carried  away  the  whole  stock  in 
the  pockets  of  an  army  overcoat.  The  Salvation  Army  has 
no  money,  you  know.  It  is  hard  to  buy  supplies  for  can- 
teens over  here,  unless  a  pocket  filled  with  money  is  doing 
the  buying.  The  Salvation  Army  must  pick  up  its  stuff 
where  it  can  get  it.  Yesterday  there  had  been  sardines  and 
shaving  soap  and  tin  watches.  To-day  there  were  only 
figs  and  licorice  drops  and  nuts. 


344  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

"  But  if  the  Brigadier  gets  in,"  said  the  Salvation  Army 
man,  "there  will  be  something  sweet  to  eat.  And  we'll 
have  a  little  meeting  of  song  and  praise,  brother — just  to 
thank  God  for  the  chance  he  has  given  us  to  help." 

Here  there  is  no  one  else  to  serve  the  boys.  Other 
organizations  have  more  money  and  more  men,  but  for  some 
reason  they  have  not  seen  fit  to  come  to  this  which  was  once 
a  town.  Shells  fall  into  it  from  six  directions  all  day  and 
all  night  long.  Now  and  then  it  is  gassed.  A  few  kilo- 
metres away  is  the  German  line.  One  reaches  town  over 
a  road  which  is  nightly  torn  to  pieces  by  high  explosives. 
No  one  comes  here  voluntarily,  and  no  one  stays  willingly — 
except  the  Salvation  Army  man.  He's  here  for  keeps. 

Men  come  down  into  his  little  dugout  to  play  checkers 
and  dominoes  and  buy  sweet  things  to  eat.  He  is  here  to 
help  them  spiritually  as  well  as  physically  and  they  know 
it,  and  yet  they  do  not  hear  him.  He  talks  to  them  just 
as  they  talk  to  each  other,  except  that  he  does  not  swear 
and  he  does  not  tell  stories  that  have  too  much  of  a  tang. 
He  never  obtrudes  his  religion  on  them.  Just  once  in  a 
while — on  the  nights  the  Brigadier  gets  in — there  is  a  little 
song  and  praise  meeting.  They  thank  God  for  the  chance 
they  have  to  help. 

That  night  the  Brigadier  got  in  with  his  cookies  and 
chocolates  and  his  message  that  salvation  is  free.  Per- 
haps a  dozen  men  sat  around  uncomfortably  in  the  little 
dugout  and  listened  to  him.  The  man  of  the  mandolin 
had  refused  at  the  last  moment.  He  said  he  would  be 
dam'  if  he  could  play  a  hymn  tune  on  that  thing.  But  the 
old  hymn  quavered  cheerily  out  of  the  little  dugout  into 
the  shell-torn  night.  The  husky  voices  of  the  Brigadier 
and  the  Ensign  and  Holy  Joe  carried  it  on,  while  the  little 
audience  sat  mute. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  345 

While  the  nearer  waters  roll, 
While  the  tempest  still  is  high. 

Then  there  was  a  little  prayer  and  a  few  straight, 
cordial  words  from  the  Brigadier  and  then,  somewhere  in 
that  perilous  night  outside,  "  taps'"  sounded  and  the  men 
were  off  to  bed.  They  had  no  word  of  thanks  as  they  shook 
hands  on  parting.  They  did  not  speak  to  each  other  as  they 
picked  their  way  along  the  path  through  the  ruins.  But 
when  they  reached  the  street  some  one  said  very  profanely 
and  very  earnestly : 

"I  can  lick  any  man's  son  who  says  THEY  ain't  all 
right." 

"  I  have  just  received  your  letter  of  the  30th  of  July,  and 
it  has  cheered  my  heart  to  know  you  take  an  interest  in  a 
poor  Belgian  prisoner  of  war. 

"  Since  I  wrote  to  you  last  we  have  been  changed  to  an- 
other camp ;  the  one  we  are  now  in  is  quite  a  nice  camp,  with 
lots  of  flowers,  and  we  are  allowed  more  freedom,  but  it  is 
very  bad  regarding  food.  We  have  so  very  little  to  eat,  it  is  a 
pity  we  can't  eat  flowers !  We  rise  up  hungry  and  go  to  bed 
hungry,  and  all  day  long  we  are  trying  to  still  the  craving 
for  food.  So  you  will  understand  the  longing  there  is  in 
our  hearts  to  once  again  be  free — to  be  able  to  go  to  work 
and  earn  our  daily  bread !  But  the  one  great  comfort  that 
I  find  is  since  I  learned  to  know  Jesus  as  my  Saviour  and 
Friend  I  can  better  endure  the  trials  and  even  rejoice  that 
I  am  called  to  suffer  for  His  sake,  and  while  around  me  I 
see  many  who  are  in  despair — some  even  cursing  God  for 
all  the  misery  in  which  we  are  surrounded,  some  trying  to 
be  brave,  some  giving  up  altogether — yet  to  a  number  of  us 
has  come  the  Gospel  message,  brought  by  the  Salvation 
Army,  and  I  am  so  glad  that  I,  for  one,  listened  and  sur- 


346  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

rendered  my  life  to  this  Jesus !    Now  I  have  real  peace,  and 
He  walks  with  me  and  gives  me  grace  to  conquer  the  evil. 

"  When  I  lived  in  Belgium  I  was  very  worldly  and  sinful 
— I  lived  for  pleasure  and  drink  and  sin.  I  did  not  then 
know  of  One  who  said,  '  Come  unto  Me,  all  ye  that  labor 
and  are  heavy-laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.'  I  did  not 
know  anything  about  living  a  Christian  life,  but  now  it  is 
all  changed  and  I  am  so  thankful!  Salvation  Army  offi- 
cers visit  us  and  bring  words  of  cheer  and  blessing  and 
comfort.  You  will  be  glad  to  know  that  I  have  applied  to 
our  Commissioner  to  become  a  Salvation  Army  officer  when 
the  war  is  over.  I  want  to  go  to  my  poor  little  stricken 
country  and  tell  my  people  of  this  wonderful  Saviour  that 
can  save  from  all  sin ! 

"  On  behalf  of  my  comrades  and  myself,  I  want  to  thank 

the  American  nation  for  all  they  have  done,  and  are  still 

doing,  for  my  people.    May  God  bless  you  all  for  it,  and 

may  He  grant  that  before  long  there  will  be  peace  on  earth ! 

"  I  remain,  faithfully  yours, 

"REMY  MEERSMAN." 

THE  "  STABS  AND  STRIPES  "  SPEAKS  FROM  FRANCE  FOR  THE 
SALVATION  ARMY. 

A  copy  of  the  "  Stars  and  Stripes/'  the  official  publica- 
tion of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces  published  in 
France  by  the  American  soldiers  themselves,  just  received 
in  Chicago,  contains  the  following: 

"  Perhaps  in  the  old  days  when  war  and  your  home  town 
seemed  as  far  apart  as  Paris,  France,  and  Paris,  111.,  you 
were  a  superior  person  who  used  to  snicker  when  you  passed 
a  street  corner  where  a  small  Salvation  Army  band  was 
holding  forth.  Perhaps — Heaven  forgive  you — you  even 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  347 

sneered  a  little  when  you  heard  the  bespectacled  sister  in 
the  poke-bonnet  bang  her  tambourine  and  raise  a  shrill 
voice  to  the  strains  of  '  Oh  death,  where  is  thy  sting-a- 
ling.'  Probably — unless  you  yourself  had  known  the  bit- 
terness of  one  who  finds  himself  alone,  hungry  and  home- 
less in  a  big  city — you  did  not  know  much  about  the  Sal- 
vation Army. 

Well,  we  are  all  homeless  over  here  and  every  Ameri- 
can soldier  will  take  back  with  him  a  new  affection  and  a 
new  respect  for  the  Salvation  Army.  Many  will  carry  with 
them  the  memories  of  a  cheering  word  and  a  friendly  cruller 
received  in  one  of  the  huts  nearest  of  all  to  the  trenches. 
There  the  old  slogan  of  '  Soup  and  Salvation '  has  given 
way  to  '  Pies  and  Piety.  It  might  be  *  Doughnuts  and 
Doughboys/  These  huts  pitched  within  the  ehock  of  the 
German  guns,  are  ramshackle  and  bare  and  few,  for  no 
organization  can  grow  rich  on  the  pennies  and  nickels  that 
are  tossed  into  the  tambourines  at  the  street-corners  of  the 
world.  But  they  are  doing  a  work  that  the  soldiers  them- 
selves will  never  forget,  and  it  is  an  especial  pleasure  to 
say  so  here,  because  the  Salvation  Army,  being  much  too 
simple  and  old-fashioned  to  know  the  uses  of  advertisement, 
have  never  asked  us  to.  You,  however,  can  testify  for  them. 
Perhaps  you  do  in  your  letters  home.  And  surely  when 
you  are  back  there  and  you  pass  once  more  a  'meeting* 
at  the  curb,  you  will  not  snicker.  You  will  tarry  awhile — 
and  take  off  your  hat." 

We  have  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Lewis  Strauss,  Sec- 
retary to  Mr.  Herbert  Hoover,  who  has  just  returned  from 
France,  and  he  says  that  Mr.  Hoover's  time  while  in 
Europe  was  spent  almost  wholly  in  London  and  Paris,  and 
that  he  had  no  opportunity  for  observing  our  War  Relief 


348  THE  WAR  ROMANCE 

Work  at  the  front.    The  concluding  paragraph  of  the  let- 
ter, however,  is  as  follows : 

"Mr.  Hoover  l^as  frequently  heard  the  most  compli- 
mentary reports  of  the  invaluable  work  which  your  organ- 
ization is  performing  in  invariably  the  most  perilous  locali- 
ties, and  he  is  filled  with  admiration  for  those  who  are 
conducting  it  at  the  front." 

THE  CHICAGO  TBIBUNE  (MAY  17,  1918),  QUOTING  FEOM  THE 
ABOVE,  ALSO   SPEAKS  EDITOEIALLY. 

The  acid  test  of  any  service  done  for  our  soldiers  in 
France  is  the  value  the  men  themselves  place  upon  it.  No 
matter  how  excellent  our  intentions,  we  cannot  be  satisfied 
with  the  result  if  the  soldiers  are  not  satisfied.  Without 
suggesting  any  invidious  distinctions  among  organizations 
that  are  working  at  the  front,  it  is  nevertheless  a  pleasure 
to  record  that  the  Salvation  Army  stands  very  high  in  the 
regard  of  American  soldiers. 

The  evidence  of  the  Salvation  Army's  excellent  work 
comes  from  many  sources. 


APPENDIX. 

A  FEW  FACTS  ABOUT  THE  SALVATION  ABMY. 

IT  HAS  been  truly  said  that  within  four  days  after  the 
German  Army  entered  Belgium,  another  Army  entered 
also— the  Salvation  Army !  One  came  to  destroy,  the  other 
to  relieve  distress  and  minister  to  the  wounded  and  dying. 

The  British  Salvation  Army  furnished  a  number  of 
Eed  Cross  Ambulances,  manned  by  Salvationists  when  the 
Eed  Cross  was  in  great  need  of  such.  When  these  arrived 
in  France  and  people  first  saw  the  big  cars  with  the  "  Sal- 
vation Army  "  label  it  attracted  a  good  deal  of  attention. 
The  drivers  wore  the  Eed  Cross  uniform,  and  were  under 
its  military  rules,  but  wore  on  their  caps  the  red  band  with 
the  words,  "Salvation  Army." 

There  is  a  story  of  a  young  officer  in  sportive  mood 
who  left  a  group  of  his  companions  and  stepped  out  into 
the  street  to  stop  one  of  these  ambulances : 

"  Hello !  Salvation  Army ! "  he  cried.  "  Are  you  tak- 
ing those  men  to  heaven  ?  " 

Amid  the  derisive  laughter  of  the  officers  on  the  side- 
walk the  Salvationist  replied  pleasantly: 

"  I  cannot  say  I  am  taking  them  to  heaven,  but  I  cer- 
tainly am  taking  them  away  from  the  other  place." 

One  of  the  good  British  Salvationists  wrote  of  meeting 
our  American  boys  in  England.  He  said : 

"Oh,  these  American  soldiers!  One  meets  them  in 
twos  and  threes,  all  over  the  city,  everlastingly  asking  ques- 
tions, by  word  of  mouth  and  by  wide-open  trustful  eyes, 
and  they  make  a  bee-line  for  the  Salvation  Army  uniform 

Ml 


350  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

on  sight.  I  passed  a  company  of  them  on  the  march  across 
London,  from  one  railroad  station  to  another,  the  other 
day.  They  were  obviously  interested  in  the  sights  of  the 
city  streets  as  they  passed  through  at  noon,  but  as  they 
drew  nearer  one  of  the  boys  caught  sight  of  the  red  band 
around  my  cap  among  the  hats  crowning  the  sidewalk 
crowd.  My!  but  that  one  man's  interest  swept  over  the 
hundred  odd  men !  Like  the  flame  of  a  prairie  fire,  it  went 
with  a  zip!  They  all  knew  at  once!  They  had  no  eyes 
for  the  crowd  any  more;  they  did  not  stare  at  the  fagade 
of  the  railway  terminus  which  they  were  passing;  they 
saw  nothing  of  the  famous  '  London  Stone '  set  in  the  wall 
behind  its  grid  on  their  right  hand.  What  they  saw  was 
a  Salvation  Army  man  in  all  his  familiar  war-paint,  and  it 
was  a  sight  for  sore  eyes !  Here  was  something  they  could 
understand!  This  was  an  American  institution,  a  tried, 
proved  and  necessary  part  of  the  life  of  any  community. 
All  this  and  much  more  those  wide-open  eyes  told  me.  It 
was  as  good  to  them  as  if  I  was  stuck  all  over  with  stars 
and  stripes.  I  belonged — that's  it — belonged  to  them,  and 
so  they  took  off  the  veil  and  showed  their  hearts  and 
smiled  their  good  glad  greeting. 

"  So  I  smiled  and  that  first  file  of  four  beamed  seraphic. 
Two  at  least  were  of  Scandinavian  stock,  but  how  should 
that  make  any  difference  ?  Again  and  again  I  noticed  their 
counterpart  in  the  column  which  followed.  ...  It  was 
all  the  same ;  file  upon  file  those  faces  spread  out  in  eager 
particular  greeting;  those  eyes,  one  and  all,  sought  mine 
expecting  the  smile  I  so  gladly  gave.  And  then  when  the 
last  was  past  and  I  gazed  upon  their  swaying  forms  from 
the  rear  I  wondered  why  my  eyes  were  moist  and  some- 
thing had  gone  wrong  with  my  swallowing  apparatus.  Great 
boys !  Bonny  boys ! " 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  351 

The  Salvation  Army  was  founded  July  5,  1865,  as  a 
Christian  Mission  in  East  London  by  the  Eeverend  Wil- 
liam Booth,  and  its  first  Headquarters  opened  in  White- 
chapel  Road,  London.  Three  years  later  work  was  begun 
in  Scotland. 

In  1877  the  name  of  the  Christian  Mission  was  altered 
to  the  Salvation  Army,  and  the  Reverend  William  Booth 
assumed  the  title  of  General. 

December  29,  1879,  the  first  number  of  the  official 
organ,  "  The  War  Cry,"  was  issued  and  the  first  brass  band 
formed  at  Consett. 

In  1880  the  first  Training  School  was  opened  at  Hack- 
ney, London,  and  the  first  contingent  of  the  Salvation 
Army  officers  landed  in  the  United  States.  The  next  year 
the  Salvation  Army  entered  Australia,  and  was  extended 
to  France.  1882  saw  Switzerland,  Sweden,  India  and 
Canada  receiving  their  first  contingent  of  Salvation  Army 
officers.  A  London  Orphan  Asylum  was  acquired  and  con- 
verted into  Congress  Hall,  which,  with  its  large  Audito- 
rium, with  a  seating  capacity  of  five  thousand,  still  remains 
the  Mammoth  International  Training  School  for  Salvation 
Army  officers,  for  missionary  and  home  fields  all  over  the 
world.  The  first  Prison-Gate  Home  was  opened  in  Lon- 
don in  this  same  year. 

The  Army  commenced  in  South  Africa,  New  Zealand 
and  Iceland  in  1883. 

In  1886  work  was  begun  in  Germany  and  the  late  Gen- 
eral visited  France,  the  United  States  and  Canada.  The 
First  International  Congress  was  held  in  London  in  that 
year. 

The  British  Slum  work  was  inaugurated  in  1887,  and 
Officers  sent  to  Italy,  Holland,  Denmark,  Zululand,  and 
among  the  Kaffirs  and  Hottentots.  The  next  year  the 


352  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

Army  extended  to  Norway,  Argentine  Republic,  Finland 
and  Belgium,  and  the  next  ten  years  saw  work  extended  in 
succession  to  Uruguay,  West  Indies,  Java,  Japan,  British 
Guiana,  Panama  and  Korea,  and  work  commenced  among 
the  Lepers. 

The  growing  confidence  of  the  great  of  the  earth  was 
manifested  by  the  honors  that  were  conferred  upon  Gen- 
eral Booth  from  time  to  time.  In  1898  he  opened  the 
American  Senate  with  prayer.  In  1904  King  Edward  re- 
ceived him  at  Buckingham  Palace,  the  freedom  of  the  City 
of  London  anc".  the  City  of  Kirkcaldy  were  conferred  upon 
him,  as  well  as  the  degree  of  D.  C.  L.  by  Oxford,  during 
1905.  The  Kings  of  Denmark,  Norway,  the  Queen  of 
Sweden,  and  the  Emperor  of  Japan  were  among  those  who 
received  him  in  private  audience. 

On  August  20,  1912,  General  William  Booth  laid  down 
his  sword. 

He  lay  in  state  in  Congress  Hall,  London,  where  the 
number  of  visitors  who  looked  upon  his  remains  ran  into 
the  hundreds  of  thousands. 

His  son,  William  Bramwell  Booth,  the  Chief  of  the 
Staff,  by  the  appointment  of  the  late  General,  succeeded  to 
the  office  and  came  to  the  position  with  a  wealth  of  affection 
and  confidence  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  the  nations 
such  as  few  men  know. 

SALVATION  AEMT  WAB  ACTIVITIES. 

77  Motor  ambulances  manned  by  Salvationists. 
87  Hotels  for  use  of  Soldiers  and  Sailors. 
107  Buildings  in  United  States  placed  at  disposal 

of  Government  for  war  relief  purposes. 
199  Huts  at  Soldiers'  Camps  used  for  religious 
and  social  gatherings  and  for  dispensing 
comfort  to  Soldiers  and  Sailors. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  353 

300  Best-rooms  equipped  with  papers,  magazines, 
books,  etc.,  in  charge  of  Salvation  Army 
Officers. 

1507  Salvation  Army  officers  devote  their  entire 
time  to  religious  and  social  work  among 
Soldiers  and  Sailors. 

15,000  Beds  in  hotels  close  to  railway  stations  and 
landing  points  at  seaport  cities  for  protec- 
tion of  Soldiers  and  Sailors  going  to  and 
from  the  Front. 
80,000  Salvation  Army  officers  fighting  with  Allied 

Armies. 
100,000  Parcels  of  food  and  clothing  distributed  among 

Soldiers  and  Sailors. 
100,000  Wounded  Soldiers  taken  from  battlefields  in 

Salvation  Army  ambulances. 
300,000  Soldiers  and  Sailors  daily  attend  Salvation 

Army  buildings. 
$2,000,000  Already  spent  in  war  activities. 

45  Chaplains  serving  under  Government  appoint- 
ment. 

40  Camps,  Forts  and  Navy  Yards  at  which  Sal- 
vation Army  services  are  conducted  or  which 
are  visited  by  Salvation  Army  officers. 
2184  War  Widows  assisted   (legal  and  other  aid, 

and  visited). 
2404  Soldiers'  wives  cared  for  (including  medical 

help). 

442  War  children  under  our  care. 
3378  Soldiers'    remittances    forwarded     (without 

charge). 
$196,081.05  Amount  remitted. 

600  Parcels  supplied  Prisoners  of  War. 
23 


354  THE  WAR  ROMANCE  OF 

1300  Cables  sent  for  Soldiers. 
275  Officers  detailed  to  assist  Soldiers'  wives  and 

relatives ;  number  assisted,  275. 
40  Military  hospitals  visited. 
360  Persons  visiting  hospitals. 
147  Boats  met. 
324,052  Men  on  board. 
35,845  Telegrams  sent. 

24  Salvationists  detailed  for  this  work. 
20  Salvationists  detailed  for  this  work  outside  of 
New  York  City. 

SALVATION   ARMY   WOEK   IN   UNITED   STATES   OF   AMERICA. 

1218  Buildings  in  use  at  present. 
2953  Missing  friends  found. 
6125  Tons  of  ice  distributed. 

12,000  Officers    and    non-commissioned    officers    ac- 
tively employed. 

11,650  Accommodations  in  institutions. 
68,000  Children  cared  for  in  Eescue  Homes  and  Slum 

Settlements. 

22,161  Women  and  girls  cared  for  in  Eescue  Homes. 
30,401  Tons  of  coal  distributed. 
175,764  Men  cared  for  in  Industrial  Homes. 
342,639  Poor  families  visited. 
399,418  Outings  given  poor  people. 
668,250  Converted  to  Christian  life. 
984,426  Jobs  found  for  unemployed  poor. 
1,535,840  Hours  spent  in  active  service  in  slum  dis- 
tricts. 

6,900,995  Poor  people  given  temporary  relief. 
40,522,990  Nights'  shelter  and  beds  given  to  needy  poor. 


THE  SALVATION  ARMY  855 

52,674,308  Meals  supplied  to  needy  poor. 

Constituency  reached  with  appeal  for  Chris- 
tian citizenship. 

132,608,087  Out-door  meeting  attendance. 
134,412,564  In-door  meeting  attendance. 

NATIONAL   WAR   BOARD. 

Commander  Evangeline  C.  Booth,  President. 

EAST.  WEST. 

Peart,  Col.  William,  Chair-  Estill,  Commissioner  Thos., 

man.  Chairman. 

Eeinhardsen,   Col.   Gustavo  Gauntlett,  Col.  Sidney, 

S.,   Sec'y  and  Treas.  Brewer,  Lt.-Col.  Arthur  T., 

Damon,  Col.  Alexander  M.,  Eynn,  Lt.-Col.  John  T., 

Parker,  Col.  Edward  J.,  Dart,    Brigadier    Wm.    J., 

Jenkins,  Lt.-Col.  Walter  F.,  Sec'y. 
Stanyon,  Lt.-Col.   Thomas, 
Welte,  Brigadier  Charles 

FRANCE. 
Barker,  Lt.-Col.  William  S.,  Director  of  War  Work. 

As  indicated  in  the  above  list,  the  National  War  Board 
functions  in  two  distinct  territories — East  and  West — the 
duty  of  each  being  to  administer  all  War  Work  in  the  re- 
spective territories.  The  closest  supervision  is  given  by 
each  War  Board  over  all  expenditure  of  money  and  no 
scheme  is  sanctioned  until  the  judgment  of  the  Board  is 
carried  concerning  the  usefulness  of  the  project  and  the 
sound  financial  proposals  associated  therewith.  After  any 
plan  is  initiated,  the  Board  is  still  responsible  for  the 
supervision  of  the  work,  and  for  the  Eastern  department 
Colonel  Edward  J.  Parker  is  the  Board's  representative  in 


356  THE  WAR  ROMANCE 

all  such  matters  and  Lieut-Colonel  Arthur  T.  Brewer  fills 
a  similar  office  in  the  Western  department.  Each  section 
of  the  National  Board  takes  responsibility  in  connection 
with  the  overseas  work,  under  the  presidency  of  COM- 
MANDER EVANGELINE  C.  BOOTH  for  the  raising,  equipping 
and  sending  of  thoroughly  suitable  people  in  proper  pro- 
portion. Joint  councils  are  occasionally  necessary,  when  it 
is  customary  for  proper  representatives  of  each  section  of 
the  Board  to  meet  together. 

The  National  Board  is  greatly  strengthened  through 
the  adding  to  its  special  councils  all  of  the  Provincial  Offi- 
cers of  the  country. 


THE  RED  SIGNAL 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL  LUTZ 

Frontispiece  in  Color  by  Edmund  Frederick.  Net,  $1.35 
Adventure  and  high  romance  came  back  with  the  Great  War. 
But  Hilda  Lessing  proves  that  the  heroic  spirit  was  not  alone  dis- 
played on  the  battlefields.  Against  a  background  of  Teuton  plotting 
Mrs.  Lutz  has  projected  her  thrilling  plot.  Finding  herself  in  a 
hotbed  of  anti-Americanism,  Hilda's  alert  mind  and  brave  spirit 
enable  her  to  outwit  a  band  of  spies  and  agents  for  destruction  in 
this  country.  Interwoven  with  a  strikingly  new  and  unusual  plot, 
upon  which  hangs  the  fate  of  the  Nation,  is  Hilda's  forgetfulness  of 
self  and  safety,  a  tender  love  story,  and  a  deed  as  original  and  bold 
as  any  ever  recorded. 

THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL  LUTZ 

Frontispiece  in  Color  by  Edmund  Frederick.  Net,  $1.35 
Shirley  Hollister,  a  little  stenographer,  burdened  with  poverty 
and  a  dependent  family,  becomes  the  center  of  a  drama  breath- 
taking enough  to  stir  the  coolest  blood.  By  the  enchantment  of 
fate,  a  tangled  web  of  strange  adventure  draws  her  into  its  meshes; 
there  is  an  "enchanted  barn"  where  she  finds  a  refuge  for  her 
family;  its  generous  young  owner;  and  a  plot  involving  disaster  to 
affairs  of  national  importance.  How  Shirley  bore  the  mighty  respon- 
sibility for  this  suddenly  thrust  upon  her,  while  her  own  life  was 
imperiled,  and  her  reward,  makes  a  romance  glowing  and  vivid  with 
the  dreams  of  youth. 

THE  FINDING  OF  JASPER  HOLT 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL  LUTZ 
Three  Illustrations  in  Color  by  E.  F.  Bayha.  Net,  $1.35 
Charming  in  its  directness  and  simplicity  is  this  romance,  with  its 
uncoflventional  love  story.  Exciting  scenes  are  well  portrayed, 
among  them  the  heroic  rescue  of  the  heroine  from  swirling  waters 
into  which  she  has  been  plunged  by  a  railroad  wreck.  Her  rescuer 
has  a  bad  name  in  the  town  toward  which  J  ean  Grayson  is  journey- 
ing, and  she  has  a  hard  fight  to  vindicate  him  despite  her  own  firm 
belief  in  his  uprightness.  Jasper's  indifference  to  public  opinion  is 
overcome  by  his  love  for  Jean,  and  his  rehabilitation  is  accomplished 
in  a  thrilling  manner.  There  is  a  delightful  tone  of  old-time  chivalry. 

J.  B.  LEPPOTCOTT  COMPANY,  Publishers,  Philadelphia 


TBE  BEST  MAN 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL  LUTZ 

Three  Illustration  in  Color  by  Gayle  Hoskins.    Net,  $135 

A  romance  of  startling  adventure,  in  which  a  secret  service  employe 
on  a  dangerous  mission  is  overtaken  by  Fate  in  the  guise  of  a  wedding 
party,  and  the  lovely  young  bride  and  he  are  caught  up  into  a  veri- 
table whirlwind  of  action.  There  is  a  code  message  which  Cyril 
Gordon  has  extracted  from  under  the  very  noses  of  desperate  plotters 
against  the  government;  a  chase  which  passes  through  the  bridal 
party  in  the  church,  catching  up  the  bride  by  the  way,  and  speeding 
through  city,  town  and  country,  through  amazing  tangles  and 
happenings  of  many  kinds,  lands  hero  and  heroine  in  safety  and 
happiness  in  the  breathless  climax.  "A  pure  fountain  of  delight." — 
New  York  Watchman-Examiner. 

THE  OBSESSION  OF 
VICTORIA  GRACEN 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HTLL  LUTZ 

Three  Illustrations  in  Color  by  Edwin  F.  Bayha.    Net,  $135 

Victoria  Gracen,  gently  bred,  and  sheltered  from  contact  with 
the  seamy  side  of  life,  finds  herself  sole  guardian  to  her  nephew,  a 
boy  of  sixteen,  spoiled  by  his  illiterate  mother;  a  jewel  very  much 
in  the  rough,  indeed.  How  this  dainty  lady,  with  conscience  as 
her  guide,  finds  her  way  to  poor  Dick's  heart  and  to  that  of  his 
graceless  friends,  and  what  her  growing  love  for  them  helps  her  to 
accomplish,  makes  a  story  full  to  the  bnm  of  human  interest,  pathos 
as  well  as  humor.  They  are  very  real  boys,  such  as  one  meets  at 
every  hand,  and  the  reader  will  enjoy  every  word  of  their  story. 
It  is  a  transcript  from  the  author's  own  experience. 

LO,  MICHAEL! 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL  LUTZ 

Three  Illustrations  in  Color  by  Gayle  Hoskins.    Net,  $1.35 

The  story  of  Michael,  born  in  a  New  York  slum,  and  of  his  rise 
through  pluck  and  good  fortune,  until  he  "makes  good,"  not  only 
in  his  own  person  and  fortunes,  but  as  a  guide  to  those  handicapped 
as  he  had  been,  is  a  fresh  and  sweet  story,  permeated  with  charming 
chivalry  and  pure  romance.  The  simplieity  and  strength  of  purpose 
revealed  in  Michael,  his  brotherly  love,  charity  and  understanding 
for  the  people  to  whom  he  devotes  his  best  efforts,  the  loveliness  of 
his  romance — these  things  take  hold  of  the  heart  strings,  and  make 
a  most  absorbing  human  chronicle. 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  Publishers,  Philadelphia 


MARCIA  SCHUYLER 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HTLL  LUTZ 

Frontispiece  in  Color  by  Anna  Whelan  Betts  and  Six  Illustrations 

from  Paintings  by  E.  L.  Henry,  N.A.    With  medallion.  Net,  $1.35 

A  romance  that  breathes  the  delicious  fragrance  of  old  lavender, 
this  quaint  story  of  stage  coach  days  is  filled  with  tenderness  and 
poetry.  The  heroine,  Marcia  Schuyler,  is  one  of  the  most  lovable 
heroines  that  ever  moved  through  the  pages  of  a  book.  Desirable 
and  every  way  appealing  is  the  vivid  portrayal  of  her  history — of 
her  romance  that  began  at  the  altar,  of  all  the  staid  and  yet  pictur- 
esque society  in  which  she  moved,  and  interwoven  with  the  charming 
climax  of  her  happiness,  the  wonderful  invention  of  the  steam  rail- 
road. The  beautiful  illustrations  are  in  keeping  with  the  charm  of 
the  tale. 

PHCEBE  DEANE 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL  LUTZ 

Frontispiece  in  Color  and  Five  Illustrations  by  E.  L*  Henry,  N JL 

Net,  $1.35 

Phcebe  Deane  is  a  bright,  flower-like  girl,  whose  home  is  an 
unhappy  one,  and  whose  romance  is  almost  marred  by  her  selfish 
half-brother  and  sieter-in-law,  with  whom  she  makes  her  home. 
The  scene  of  the  story  is  that  of  "  Marcia  Schuyler,"  and  some  of  the 
characters  of  that  story  reappear.  The  weaving  of  the  tale  is  full 
of  character,  the  serving  maid,  red  haired  Miranda,  is  delightfully 
amusing,  and  she  plays  a  leading  part  in  bringing  about  the  dramatic 
climax  of  the  love  story.  These  further  chapters  from  the  archives 
of  this  quaint  old  country  village  make  fascinating  reading. 

MIRANDA 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HTTJ,  LUTZ 

Frontispiece  in  Color  and  Four  Illustrations  by  E.  L.  Henry,  NJL 

Net,  $1.35 

One  of  the  most  attractive  girls,  and  one  of  the  most  human, 
in  fiction  is  the  heroine  of  "Miranda,"  a  thoroughly  whplesonte, 
optimistic,  and  humorous  maid,  whose  story  is  a  prose  epic  of  the 
early  forties,  of  the  simple  social  fabric  of  the  time,  and  of  the 
adventurous  romance  of  western  exploration  and  settlement.  She 
is  born  and  brought  up  in  the  same  environment  as  "  Phcebe  Deane," 
and  plays  a  part  in  that  story.  But  her  own  romance  is  engrossing 
in  its  interest.  It  was  a  time  of  change  in  the  nation,  a  time  of  rapid 
growth  and  development,  and  there  is  a  historical  value  in  this 
delightful  picturing  of  its  people. 

J.  B.  UPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  Publishers,  Philadelphia 


THE  MYSTERY  OF  MARY 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL  LUTZ 

Frontispiece  in  Color  by  Anna  W.  Speakman.    Net,  $1.00 

There  is  an  enticingness  about  the  mystery  of  Mary,  who  appears 
suddenly  from  nowhere,  and  appeals  to  the  chivalry  of  Tryon 
Dunham.  He  does  not  know  one  bit  more  about  her  than  the 
reader,  but  she  is  young  and  beautiful,  and  her  manners  are  refined. 
He  takes  her  with  him  on  his  evening's  engagements,  and  a  startling 
series  of  developments  ensue.  Then,  when  she  is  safely  off  on  her 
way  to  Chicago,  and  he  has  time  to  think  it  over,  he  finds  from  the 
paper  that  there  are  three  Marys  who  have  disappeared,  a  thief,  a 
lunatic,  an  heiress.  Which  of  these  is  his  Mary?  The  solution  of 
the  mystery  is  enthralling — and  delightful. 

DAWN  OF  THE  MORNING 

By  GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL  LUTZ 

Three  Illustrations  in  Color  by  Anna  Whelan  Betts.    Net,  $1.35 

All  the  stories  by  Mrs.  Lutz  are  charming;  they  smell  of  dried 
rose  leaves,  lavender  and  clean  things.  Their  heroines  are  girls  who 
are  still  modest  and  sweet,  however  circumstances  try  and  confound 
them.  And  of  them  all,  there  is  no  more  womanly  and  lovable  a 
maid  than  fair  Dawn  Van  Rensselaer,  who  has  as  thrilling  an  experi- 
ence as  could  come  to  a  pretty  maid.  Her  independent  spirit  leads 
her  to  solve  her  difficulties  in  her  own  way — a  way  that  leads  her 
through  many  trials,  but  into  a  haven  of  happiness  at  the  end.  There 
is  a  crescendo  of  interest  to  the  very  end. 

THE  SOUL  OF  ANN  RUTLEDGE 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN'S  ROMANCE 
By  BERNIE  BABCOCK 

Frontispiece  in  Color  by  Gayle  Hoskins.    Net,  $1.50 

In  this  exquisite  portrayal  of  the  early  romance  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  the  beautiful  Ann  Rutledge,  Mrs.  Babcock  has  treated 
with  rare  skill  the  story  of  the  greatest  American.  Lincoln  as  he 
was  in  his  youth,  in  his  first  flower  of  enthusiasm,  his  struggle  for 
an  education,  his  moral  and  religious  development,  and  his  capacity 
for  true  and  devoted  love,  will  add  warmth  to  that  devotion  all 
Americans  cherish  for  his  selfless  character.  His  early  romance  was 
as  pure  and  beautiful  as  its  object,  lovely  Ann,  whose  early  death 
broke  the  spell,  and  left  a  lasting  impress  upon  Lincoln's  life. 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  Publishers,  Philadelphia 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


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